The Broken Miko
by RosieB
Summary: New summary: After a tragic battle and a wish with unexpected consequences, Kagome finds the infamous taiyoukai. He has the power to help her, but will he? KagomeXSess COMPLETE WITH EPILOGUE!
1. The Dungeon of the Oni Lord

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha and unfortunately never will…

A/N: I came up with this idea while writing my story "Golden Fire" (which you should read/review, it's not half bad if I do say so myself). I had an extremely hard time keeping Kagome and Sesshoumaru apart and into their own separate romantic relationships. I'm a rabid Inuyasha/Kagome fan, but since I just did one of those, I decided to change it up a bit. Anyway, this little note is actually for this:

WARNING: This is an R-rated fic, which is partly cautionary. The beginning has a considerable amount of angst (hence the title…), but will later include strong sexual innuendo. Not lemons, but perhaps a bit limey. You have been warned.

Dedicated to my best friend, Kelly – she completely deserves it.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 1: The Dungeon of the Oni Lord

The dripping of water into stagnant pools echoed down the empty hall. The slime on the walls thickened as new algae grew at alarming rates and no movement could be made without it smearing onto one's kimono. It was the sort of place he detested and he been trapped here for five cycles of the moon.

He sat down in the corner that he had dubbed the least disgusting and studied his surroundings for the thousandth time. Despite all appearances, the walls were not just stone and muck. They possessed a quality that did not allow youkais to use their inherent powers. If they didn't, he would have already transformed into his true form and eaten every guard on his way out of the hellhole.

Sesshoumaru licked his lips and ran his tongue along his sharp fangs at the thought of raw meat. The prison guards had been feeding him quite _inferior_ food. Rice being the main ingredient. They were demon too, so he knew they gave him this food just to torture him.

He looked disdainfully at the half-eaten contents of the rough-hewn bowl next to him. It was _cooked_ and it was _not_ meat. Sighing inwardly, he picked it up and hesitantly raised it to his lips, which curled in distaste. Quickly, he downed the remaining rations, trying not to smell the aroma of human sustenance. Of _course_ his sense of smell was the only ability that had not been affected by the enchanted fortifications.

The door at the other end of the hall clanged open, allowing a blast of relatively fresh air down the corridor and through the bars of Sesshoumaru's cell. He breathed in greedily, as if he had been held underwater for the past hour. He paused and wrinkled his nose slightly when the unwashed stench of the guard flooded his senses. The Western Lord was positive that his captor had assigned his nasally sensitive prisoner a boar youkai on purpose.

"Done yet?" barked the pig as he neared the door. His unkempt armor plates grated against each other, signaling they needed to be divested of their rust. The Western Lord almost flinched at the irritating noise combined with the disgusting lack of care his sentry had for his own belongings. The only object that appeared clean was the plain, circular pendant hanging around his neck. The small glyph on it was not something even Sesshoumaru could recognize.

Sesshoumaru glared at him, narrowing his golden eyes. Not moving from his spot, he pushed the bowl across the floor until it pinged against the iron bars. "It was sufficient," he lied. Damned if they would know how much he hated the stuff.

The boar youkai snorted and used the blunt end of his spear to pull the bowl out from between the bars. Sesshoumaru growled lightly, knowing that the sentry had been instructed to not place his hands inside the cell since that would be his last act of life. Not that it would provide much more than a meal for the lord. Wisely enough, the keys to his cell were kept in a different place than on the sentry's belt.

The guard bent down and picked up the bowl slowly, keeping his eyes trained on his prisoner. Snickering, he thought of how much the demon lord had changed in appearance since they brought him into this deepest part of the dungeon. The slime and muck of the walls had resisted all of Sesshoumaru's efforts and clung fast to his silk kimono. His silver hair was mussed and dirty as well. All in all, the boar was pleased to see that the youkai beyond the bars possessed none of his previous good looks. Maybe that would stop the court's females from peering into the small window at the other end of the hall, trying to catch a glimpse of the once impeccable Western Lord.

Sesshoumaru himself had noticed the women gawking at his pale, lean figure and had come to detest them. If they were not going to _assist_ him in escaping, must they giggle so much? He tossed his hair over his shoulder. Not that he would want any assistance from a bunch of females, or anyone for that matter.

As the door shut once again, leaving him without the stink of his guard, the Western Lord considered his predicament. He still did not know how he had been knocked unconscious on the field of battle, but that wasn't the part that troubled him. He was still _alive_. Why? He had no family that would pay for his ransom, nor did he have lands he would give up to secure his freedom. He would rather die than lose honor in such a way.

Perhaps if he knew the identity of his captor, he would know why he was alive. He had gone to the call of the Lord of the Southern Lands and helped defend the weakening lizard youkai's borders, but he had not gone out of his way to know who the attacker was. After all, the rebel was supposed to be dead by the end of the skirmish.

He glanced around once again. It would appear that he had been _wrong_.

A noise from the opposite side of the hall door pulled Sesshoumaru from his thoughts, but it stopped as quickly as it had begun. 

He leaned back onto the wall and folded his remaining arm across his lap. 'Damn that brother of mine', he thought with uncharacteristic bitterness. 'What is a dog with only three legs? _Crippled_ of course.'

He sighed, lifting his hand to pass over his brow and resuming his usual eerie calm. This was not the time to get angry. That pig demon's eyes begged for an excuse to kill his royal charge. Considering that he did not even have youkai speed in this cell, Sesshoumaru was not sure that he could dodge any arrow shot by the boar. He growled softly, trying to keep it silent. 'Was this how humans lived every day? No wonder they were useless and pathetic', he mused.

An image of a small black-haired girl came unbidden to his mind. Rin. The twelve-year-old girl had become inextricable from his life over the past four years. Occasionally, he dared to think that the small child had actually contributed to his contentment in life. He would often push this thought aside, only to return to it later, turning it over in his mind.

During his interminable stay in the dungeon, he had come to the conclusion that Rin did not make him soft hearted, as he once believed. She had become a counter-balance to the bloodshed in his life. On top of all this, Rin had become polite and intelligent under his tutelage. She was an acceptable human ward. 

He frowned. Unlike that wench belonging to his brother. _That_ was a girl who needed considerable instruction in proper manners and dress. That obscene kimono she wore. Sesshoumaru closed his eyes, trying to erase the image of the irritating human girl.

The door at the end of the hall swung open once again and Sesshoumaru vaguely wondered why the boar had returned before he noticed that the creature walking towards him was not the sentry. The figure was robed in a black cloak that fell to the floor, out of which peeked the tips of the boots the person wore as they sauntered up to the cell door.

The hood was flipped back in a fluid motion and Sesshoumaru, still seated on the floor, widened his eyes slightly. It was a _female_. Perhaps one of the courtesans had gathered enough courage to attempt to help him. 

He settled back against the wall once again, acknowledging in his mind that the attempt would fail. Any moment now and the door would open to reveal three or four guards ready to drag her back to the lord of the castle for punishment. 

It would serve no purpose to expect an escape.

Dark eyes peered at him through the gloom of the dungeon. "Aren't you happy to see me?" the woman questioned with a voice that must once have held a lot of joy, but was now dead.

"Who are you?" countered Sesshoumaru, ignoring her question. He took in her appearance, as if it would provide a clue. Her black hair was streaked with red, the same color that rimmed her average brown eyes. Most noticeably, two crimson colored ears poked out of her hair on top of her head. She was a hanyou, clearly, but who was she?

The girl blinked. "You really don't recognize me, do you?"

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow and with a small sigh of annoyance, heaved himself to his feet and walked over to the bars. "Should I? I do not associate with half-breeds like yourself." He noticed that she remained a few feet out his reach, just like the guards.

Actual emotion flashed through her eyes and Sesshoumaru recognized it as anger. It had been awhile since anyone had dared to be visibly angry with him, and it amused him to see it. "You're a real jackass, you know that?" She huffed a bit and blew a few bangs out of her dark eyes.

"No one has lived long enough to tell me so," he responded dryly, returning to his previous thoughts of fresh food. _She_ would do in a pinch, although he usually didn't consume youkai with the power of speech.

"Well perhaps they should do so more often," she stated.

Sesshoumaru carefully suppressed his appetite. The hanyou would probably disagree with him anyway. "I tire of this game. Tell me who you are and what you want, or leave." He brushed a hand through his hair, inwardly grimacing as it became stuck in a mass of gelatinous scum.

Her expression deadened once again. "I'm exactly who you think I am. A half-breed."

There was a pregnant pause as Sesshoumaru studied her again and sniffed the air. There _was_ something familiar about her scent, but the half-demon blood seemed to cover it. Finally, he broke the silence. "That does not answer my question adequately. And you have yet to tell me what you want."

She stepped closer and ran her clawed hands over the hinges of the bars. "You can't break the door can you?"

Sesshoumaru pushed down his growing impatience. Must she always answer a question with another? "No. The walls are enchanted and my demon strength has been temporarily taken away." He eyed her for a moment. "As a half-breed, you would have even less success. The walls affect you as well."

The girl gave him a cold glare. "You'd be right, if I only had demonic powers." She retreated a few feet. "Now, I'll make you a deal, Sesshoumaru."

"And what would that be, half-breed?" His eyes swept over her form for the third time. She didn't look like she could break down the door, but perhaps she was immune to the walls' power because of her tainted blood.

"I'll let you out and you have to accompany me on my mission. A mission that concerns you, by the way," she added quickly as she watched Sesshoumaru's eyes narrow. As an afterthought, she said, "And you can't continue calling me 'half-breed'."

He gritted his teeth. "Very well, wench."

The girl shook her head. "No name-calling at all. I have a name you know."

Sesshoumaru leveled his gaze at her. He half-expected her to begin wagging her finger at him. "In that case, it would be prudent to tell me your name."

She was unabashed at her mistake. "Promise me that you'll come with me first. To help me in my quest and not harm me."

"Will Tokijin and Tensaiga be returned to this Sesshoumaru? Along with my armor? And the chance to kill the lord who has imprisoned me for so long?" He clenched his fist at the thought of his keeper, accidentally allowing his claws to pierce his palm. His nose twitched at the smell of blood, as did the mysterious girl's.

The hanyou hesitated. "Very well. It will make this much more difficult, but I think we can manage."

Sesshoumaru pressed his lips into a small line for a moment. "Then I agree to your terms. Although you still have not responded to my other request."

She knew what he meant, but kept her eyes on the hinges of the iron door. The demon lord watched as she lifted her hands to the crux of the bars and furrowed her brow in concentration. A pink light streamed from her hands and she quickly moved, so that it would touch all three hinges. The glow died and the door fell from its frame into her waiting arms. She let it rest on the ground, careful to avoid making too much noise.

Sesshoumaru, meanwhile, had been allowing his thoughts to click into place as he solved the puzzle the girl had presented to him. How had he not realized it earlier? He had just been thinking of her vexing habits a few moments before her arrival. "You are my brother's we-…" he stopped and corrected himself, forcing out some small semblance respect for the girl who had just released him. "Companion," he finished.

The girl nodded solemnly as a cloud seemed to pass over her expression. "My name is Kagome," she finally said stoically.

"I know," he answered, a bit harshly. He might not have cared, but he couldn't easily ignore his idiot brother yelling that name during their battles.

As he crossed the threshold of his cell, his baser instincts were telling him to pounce upon her and destroy this girl that had so insulted him, but he restrained himself. Hanyou or not, he had made a promise and honor forbade him to break it. 

Kagome just nodded once again and gestured for him to follow her, which he did with a slight frown creasing the edges of his mouth. If she intended for him to accompany her, she had better not expect him to act like a lap dog.

She pulled open the heavy wooden door and glided through with her cloak whispering against the flagstone floor. Sesshoumaru paused in the doorway and looked to either side of the small, dimly light chamber. Two guards, including the boar sentry, had been slaughtered. For a moment, he marveled at Kagome's obvious skill, but quickly erased the thought. "You killed these men."

It was a statement, not a question, but Kagome took it as one anyway. "Yes. I couldn't exactly flirt my way past them, could I?" she commented dryly, keeping her back to him.

Before he passed through the small antechamber, he considered the bodies of the dead youkai once again. Their spears had not been used and their eyes held a look of complete astonishment. These men had been killed unaware of their predator. Even Sesshoumaru knew the meaning of 'killed in cold blood' and this scene exemplified that. They had not the slightest chance to defend themselves. He stole a glance at the miko, who stood waiting for him at the opposite side of the tiny room.

"Are you coming?" she inquired as she opened the next wooden door. "Once we're past this room, we might have to fight a bit to get out. I only killed the guards I met on my way. More may come."

Sesshoumaru crossed to her and pushed the door closed silently. "Tell me where we are. I do not like to enter into battle without knowledge of my surroundings."

"Wise choice," Kagome responded as she removed her hands from the handle and tucked them into her sleeves. "You're in a small dungeon built specifically for youkai prisoners of war. We're about two miles from the castle of the lord who put you here, so reinforcements cannot easily be called. I destroyed the beacon though, so if anyone is aware of our presence, it will take them awhile to get new soldiers out here." 

Her eyes glittered as she looked at the sullied demon lord before her. 'He still looks completely unfazed by the events taking place around him', she thought. 'Still an ice prince. What a shame.' She shook her head, burying the impulse to smile sympathetically at him.

Sesshoumaru watched the brief play of emotion across her face, but refocused onto the task at hand. "I believe you are mistaken. Why would a lord keep his most dangerous captives away from his castle?"

Kagome arched a red and black eyebrow at him. "Because if they broke out, the castle would be the first place to go and wreak havoc. Why make it easier for them to get there?"

"It is a coward's excuse. A proper guard should be able to respond quickly enough to contain any danger," he retorted. 'Except if the prisoner was this Sesshoumaru,' he silently commented.

The girl shrugged. "It doesn't matter. The location of the tower in relation to the castle will aid us in this instance, so let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, okay?" She finished, staring at the Western Lord.

He tried to process her strange words, but came up with nothing and decided that it was not relevant. "Let us proceed then."

She reached for the door and opened it wide to reveal a spiraling staircase. Truly fresh air raced down it, causing Sesshoumaru's hair to ripple slightly in the breeze. He sniffed delicately, trying to refrain from inhaling deeply in the miko's presence. Just because he _looked_ like a barbarian in his tattered clothing, didn't mean he had to _act_ as one. He was still the Western Lord.

The girl had begun to trudge up the slick stairs, not bothering to lift the front of her robe to prevent her from slipping on the stone.

'Foolish child,' thought Sesshoumaru as he moved to follow her. They climbed up for what must have been twenty feet when they came to another door, this one solid iron.

Flexing her claws and crouching slightly, Kagome tossed a glance over her shoulder. "Smell anything?" she whispered, so low that he practically had to lip-read. 

He breathed in through his nose and immediately drew back at the pungent scent of blood. "They are dead," he stated with his voice at its normal volume.

"Good," she hissed, glaring at the iron door for a second before pushing it open. If Sesshoumaru was shocked at her fierce manner, he didn't say anything as he once again followed her through the doorway.

A similar scene to that of the antechamber lay before them. Three guards had been taken by surprise and killed in an instant. Claw marks across their throats ensured against them calling for assistance. Even the Western Lord had to admit that his new companion was a decent assassin. The question was, how would she perform in real combat?

He noticed just in time that Kagome had paused in the hallway, and stopped gracefully before hitting her from behind.

She turned and let out a half-developed gasp when she realized how close he had been. Her eyes traveled up from his chest to his pale, aggravated face and she immediately countered it with one of her own. "We need to let the other prisoners out." The sudden softness of her voice conflicted with the hard gleam in her eyes.

Sesshoumaru lifted his head and glanced down the length of the corridor at the door that surely was an exit. Perpendicular to it, the hall branched off and he could hear the shuffling of several youkai prisoners. He wrinkled his nose slightly. Did _no one_ in this place bathe?

Kagome chuckled softly at her comrade's obvious discomfort, earning her a growl and a flex of the poison claw in her direction. She dismissed it. He had _promised_ not to kill her, and she knew he would be bound by honor to uphold that.

"Why do you want to free the other youkai?" he questioned after the long pause. His breath tickled her cheeks and nose as he looked down at her.

The miko stepped back, suddenly aware of their proximity to each other but refusing to blush. "I believe they have suffered here enough is all. This lord is cruel to his prisoners and I want it to stop, for these guys at least."

Sesshoumaru's thoughts flickered back to the food and lodgings of the past five months and grimly nodded his assent.

She glared at him for a moment before sprinting away down the hall. "I would have done it with or without your approval, Sesshoumaru. You're going to have to get used to that."

He gritted his teeth against her insolence. 'Exactly how long does this girl intend to keep me bound to my oath?' he wondered.

A few cries of joy came to his ears and the Western Lord slowly padded his way down to the cells for less dangerous youkai than himself. When he turned the corner, he was surprised to see that there were only six cells, three facing their mirrors along a short hall. He frowned, momentarily insulted that he had been imprisoned in such a rudimentary building.

Kagome stood in the middle of the corridor with her hands fading from a soft pink to her normal flesh color. Four demons were now stretching and grinning as they stepped out of their cells. Some definitely looked the worse for wear. Kagome herself was frowning in concentration, but the expression vanished as one of the prisoners embraced her as he passed. The miko looked down to see a young demon with feathered wings protruding from his back.

He pulled away and looked up at her with violently green eyes. Kagome was troubled to see that the child was no older than ten. "Thank you, my Lady. Kami himself must have sent you."

Her eyes darkened as she pried his arms off of her waist. "Get out of here, kid," she muttered. "As a word of advice, don't go around hugging strange demons. Or hanyous for that matter."

The boy stepped away as if he had touched a live wire, hurt evident in his eyes. Kagome just glared at him and crossed her arms. After a few moments pause, the child slipped away behind the other three former inmates, sparing a fearful glance for the intimidating inuyoukai near the exit.

Sesshoumaru furrowed his brow. In less than ten minutes, this hanyou had confused him more than he would have liked. The wench he remembered was distinctly more _sunny_ than the half-demon standing before him. Combined with the fact that she had obviously given up half her humanity and no longer seemed to travel with his idiot brother, and he had a mystery on his hands. Sesshoumaru did _not_ like mysteries.

Kagome tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Let's go and get your stuff and then you can clean up a bit. You reek of bad rice."

That certainly could not be ignored, so the Western Lord quickly moved and blocked her from brushing by. "I will not be talked to in that way," he growled, with a deadly spike of anger in his voice. "The only reason you are not dead is because this Sesshoumaru promised it to be so."

The miko glared at him for a moment and then hung her head, causing Sesshoumaru's eyebrow to arch in surprise. The girl was acting as if she were three different people. One minute angry, the next cold and distant like himself, and now weak, like the human she had once been. It took all of his strength not to shatter his composure and sigh in frustration, but it was getting harder as he sensed the flickering emotions of Kagome's mind.

He finally settled on a compromise. "This Sesshoumaru has never asked for anything of a hanyou or human," he began, silently adding 'or demon'. "But I request that you show your true nature if you plan to accompany me in our journey. None of this ridiculous emotional turbulence." His cold heart fought against every word he uttered, but the Western Lord knew in order not to kill each other, they would both have to _adjust_ a bit. The thought irked him, but he finally decided it was acceptable trade for his freedom.

The girl before him just lifted her head and gave him a cold look. "Very well," she said, echoing his earlier tone. Sesshoumaru nodded, seeing that she had wisely chosen the icy, calculating demeanor that matched so well to his own. At least he wouldn't have to listen to her inane prattling.

He stepped into the long thin rectangle of sunlight the partially opened door created. He gave her a questioning glare when he noticed that Kagome was not moving.

She snapped her head up, nodded once to his silent query and they walked out into the field that surrounded the small prison. The expanse of tall green grass and reeds was empty as the sun set in the distance, and Sesshoumaru immediately tensed his muscles in preparation for an attack. He could hear the now distant whoops and hollers of the freed captives and cursed them for being so loud.

"This way." Kagome pointed to the north. "I think this lord is actually just a wealthy vassal, so we shouldn't meet too much resistance." She trudged off, ignoring the small creases of a frown evident in her comrade's face.

'How is it that a vassal captured this Sesshoumaru?' he wondered. It would be foolish indeed to place the Lord of the Western Lands into such a minimally secure prison and then take his valuable possessions. Naturally, he would want them back. It was as if the vassal _wished_ for his own death, or at least for Sesshoumaru to escape.

He observed the miko walking away, her hips swaying underneath her cloak. In an unusual spurt of curiosity, he wondered when he would be able to ask about her past. Sesshoumaru had not seen his brother's ragtag band for more than nine months prior to his capture. What had separated the previously inseparable miko and hanyou? He had always expected them to mate eventually, but the girl held no scent of Inuyasha upon her body.

Sesshoumaru shook his head slowly, oblivious to the small droplets of slimy water that slipped off the ends of his tresses. Now was the time for revenge, not contemplation into his worthless brother's love life.

Kagome tucked her hands into her sleeves and tried to ignore the lingering smell of the muck-ridden dungeon to no avail. 'Great,' she thought. 'It's seeped into my clothes.' She heard a rustle of grass and glanced up to see Sesshoumaru walking slightly in front of her, with his usual snobbish air. The sleeves of his kimono were ripped and she could see his broad shoulders and strong back. His strength and speed would definitely come in handy, she decided with a critical eye on his confident gait. 

She cleared her throat, but when he didn't turn to meet her eyes, she spoke anyway. "I apologize for my erratic behavior."

Now he did stop and turn. Kagome knew that had he been a hanyou, his ears would be twitching in confusion. He responded with a deliberate tone. "There is no reason for your apologies. We have already discussed this matter."

She scowled and her ears flattened against her head. "I don't think you understand. I haven't been a hanyou for long and it's just driving me crazy. All my new demon blood fighting my human blood. It tends to make me a bit… strange at times. I'm telling you so that you won't be surprised if I slip up and actually show my more volatile side."

Sesshoumaru took note of her reddening face. "Like now, for example?" he intoned, hiding his amusement at the half-breed's suffering.

Her mouth dropped open and she averted her eyes. "Yes, I guess so."

"Well," he drawled, "this should prove to be an interesting journey." Without waiting for a response, he pivoted on his toe and walked off.

They quickly crossed the field and entered a large grove of ancient trees, which they moved through at a dizzying pace. After only fifteen minutes of silent striding, Kagome spotted the lit torches of the vassal's mansion.

Before they left the shadows, Sesshoumaru stopped and lowered himself to the ground. He faced the lights of the palace and remained silent.

Kagome was beginning to get annoyed, but carefully covered it. "What are we doing? Don't you want your stuff?"

"You took a great risk coming to the prison in daylight. I shall not make the same mistake now. We will wait for nightfall." He settled back against a tree and closed his eyes.

The hanyou frowned, looked towards the sky and found a suitable branch. Immediately, she hopped up and lay down on it, with her stomach pressed against the rough bark. Her feet were propped up behind her, allowing her knees and cloak to fall to either side of the branch. As she placed her head upon her hands, she took on the appearance of a feline instead of a canine.

"I see you have taken on my brother's strange sleeping habits," stated the inuyoukai on the forest floor. Inuyasha might have thought he was safe in treetops, but Sesshoumaru found the practice to be utterly exposing. The Western Lord himself never slept while away from his home.

She made a noise of indignation. "I don't plan to sleep in _your_ vicinity anytime soon," she huffed, as if she had read his thoughts.

He kept his eyes closed and ignored her uncanny telepathic moment. "You will not survive the trip to my lands. As a hanyou, you need sleep. Especially as a half-breed that hasn't had any practice at sleep deprivation."

"You expect me to trust you?"

"Of the two of us, I feel that you are the most untrustworthy," he responded without emotion.

Kagome immediately sat up, straddling the branch and staring at him with unmistakable anger. "_Me?_ This from the guy who has tried to kill me countless times for a stupid sword? I freed you from that prison, mister. I think I deserve a little credit, you know."

"I did not kill you. That is my show of appreciation." He opened one eye and let it fall upon her form. "I believe we agreed that you would not act so irrationally."

"We agreed that I would pick one side of my personality and stick with it. Maybe I decided to give in to the demonic side."

"No demon is irritating as you, half-breed," he commented dryly.

Kagome bristled. "I thought we _agreed_ that there would be no name-calling."

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his now open eyes. "Then we have both broken our promises. That is the way things happen occasionally."

"Just don't get any ideas of breaking the most important one. You still have to accompany me on my mission." She brushed a few red hairs away from her eyelashes.

What was it about demons that made them so vexing? Sesshoumaru was far too much like his brother sometimes. Stubborn and arrogant, the lot of them.

Her heart twisted at the thought of Inuyasha. It was for him that she had become a hanyou and she wished fervently that he could be there to help her through the transition. But he left her, just like he always did. A wave of bitterness flowed through her. It was because of him that she felt like this. Like she was breaking apart from the inside.

Kagome never thought it was possible to feel so much pain. And this youkai had the gall to judge her for her strange behavior?

After several minutes, the passing of which the female hanyou barely noticed, Sesshoumaru voiced his decision. "I will join you on this mission of yours, for the sake of my honor."

His eyes shone with a flash of amusement and Kagome knew it was because he could sense her resentment. 'What an ass,' she thought for the hundredth time. 'He thinks I should be _honored_ that he's living up to his promise.'

"I wish to know of my brother's whereabouts," he spoke again, surprising the hanyou. "I do not want him leaping out at me, brandishing Tetsusaiga, and complaining that I have kidnapped you."

Kagome froze for a moment and gracefully swung down out of the tree. Walking forward, she took note of the sky's deepening hues. "The sun has set. We should go now, before the night watch discovers you and the other prisoners are gone."

"You will answer the question, wench," growled Sesshoumaru as he got to his feet.

She spun around, clenching her fists and leaning forward while her ears twitched. "Look. I guarantee you that Inuyasha will not be coming after me."

Sesshoumaru allowed a small smirk to grace his features. "He chose the undead miko over you." He knew of the love triangle between his brother and the two girls. Just more torment for Inuyasha, something Sesshoumaru very much enjoyed.

Instead of getting furious, as he expected, the girl retracted her aggressive stance. "Something like that," she said passively with a blank face.

His amber eyes seemed to pierce her soul and she thought about making a break for it, just to leave his gaze. Finally, he turned away and she let out the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"It is time," said Sesshoumaru as he began to walk toward the mansion.

*******************************

A/N: There's your first chapter. You didn't really think they'd keep those promises did you? If you think Kagome is acting a bit crazy, that's intentional. If you think she's acting a bit like Inuyasha, that's also intentional. Anyone want to guess why she's suddenly a hanyou? You get my personal praise if you get it right! Haha… Anyway, please review.


	2. Izo, the Cowardly Vassal

A/N: I feel so special! I have never gotten so many reviews for a first chapter! Don't worry, everyone - next chapter will definitely fill in some answers to pressing questions.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 2: Izo, the Cowardly Vassal

The moon cast a haunting glow onto the palace. It was a traditional Japanese residence for the rich, but Sesshoumaru could see that it had recent additions to the original structure. Not long ago, it had been a very _small_ mansion, if it could have been called as such. The crisp new walls of the added wing allowed him to see the silhouettes of five guards pacing across the property.

"They have pitiful defenses," commented Kagome quietly. "This shouldn't be too hard."

"Nevertheless," responded Sesshoumaru, "we will not allow them to raise the alarm."

"No going in with loud battle cries?"

He cast a searing glance at his hanyou companion. "I have no weapons or armor. It is not advisable to run blindly into battle like my idiot brother."

A soft growl erupted from Kagome's throat, wordlessly warning Sesshoumaru to keep his rude comments to himself.

He waved off the attempted threat and pointed to the two guards at the southeastern corner of the palace. "Kill those two as silently as possible, I will dispose of the other three." Again, he glanced at the girl, who was nodding in agreement. "Do not expect me to protect you, should you get into trouble. That was not part of my oath."

Kagome smiled in a malevolent manner that did not suit her features. Flexing her claws, she said, "You just wait. I'll be saving _your_ life again in no time."

It was Sesshoumaru's turn to growl. "I think not, half-breed," he whispered as he slipped off towards his three oblivious victims.

The hanyou shrugged and turned to face her own opponents. Keeping to the shadows, she stalked her prey, watching as they talked and joked. When their eyes were closed in mirth, she quickly leapt up to the roof above their heads, landing as silently as possible on the slats.

The laughter stopped. "Hey," said the larger guard, "did you just hear something?" He shuffled a bit, peering around the grounds, while Kagome carefully kept hidden from view.

'Damn youkai hearing,' she cursed in her head. She waited until the two guards stepped forward, craning their necks to watch for intruders. Leaping down behind them, she tapped their shoulders.

The two burly youkai turned around with evident surprise, which was frozen on their faces as she used her claws to slice open their throats. They fell forward into her arms and she smoothly laid them down before they dripped too much blood on her clothing.

Lifting her claws to her face, she sniffed delicately. 'Ugh,' she thought, grimacing. 'I definitely smell like those two scummy youkai now.'

She felt a tug on her sleeve and her instincts kicked into place. Kagome swung her sharp claws towards the villain who dared to touch her, only to have her arm caught in a pale, striped hand. Her eyes traveled up the dirty silk-encased appendage, past a furry boa and onto the calm face of Sesshoumaru.

His hand tightened around her wrist, making her wince slightly. It didn't hurt, but Kagome remembered the power of his poison claws when he held Inuyasha's wrist like this. At least she wasn't wielding Tetsusaiga against the Western Lord like the male hanyou had been doing.

"You are in desperate need of training, half-breed," he hissed.

After a moment of furious stares, he released her and turned to the sliding door beside him.

She blinked as the door opened, and light streamed into her sensitive eyes. As they adjusted, her ears continued to swivel around, listening for strangers.

Finally, the Western Lord appeared in her vision. He was studying the intricate paintings on the walls made of thick rice paper overlaying expensive wood. One of them depicted an epic battle and scrolled across ten feet of wall space. His claws traced the armor of one of the demon generals, who was charging towards a terrified human army.

Kagome leaned forward and her eyes widened. "That's… your father."

The golden paint gleamed faintly in the light of the torches, but Sesshoumaru's eyes shone even brighter. "Yes."

Her claws joined his in touching the regal looking demon on the canvas. "I could tell by the fuzzy thing. Must be a family thing, huh?"

He frowned. "It is a tail."

"Really now?" She reached out to the white tail wrapped around his shoulder, but stopped her fingers a few inches away and dropped her hand. "Sorry."

Sesshoumaru watched in amusement as her cheeks flushed slightly. Truthfully, he could care less if she touched his tail. It was not as sensitive as so many women believed it to be. He almost rolled his eyes as he thought of the number of females that tried to excite him by stroking his tail. It was irritating.

No wonder he didn't take as many females to bed as the other unattached, and some attached, demon lords.

On the other hand, he was pleased that he wouldn't be washing out the stench of half-breeds from his fur later.

Now that he had escaped the scents filling the dungeon and the flowering trees, Sesshoumaru could smell the hanyou properly. As she stood there, pretending to become absorbed in the paintings again, he inhaled deeply.

Ignoring the trace surface scent of blood, the scent of mandarin oranges flooded his senses and he arched an eyebrow. It was surprisingly _tolerable_ for the scent of a hanyou. The airy citrus smell imprinted itself into his mind so that he would not accidentally kill her in the midst of battle.

"Who's the woman?" asked the hanyou, pointing to a lithe, pale woman watching the fight from a cliff above the battleground. Her clothes were that of distinguished lineage and she easily stood out among the other females. "She has your stripes."

Sesshoumaru frowned. "No one… My mother."

"Your mother?" she repeated.

He gave her a stony glare and she knew that he would not say anymore about the beautiful demoness.

"There's no one here," observed Kagome, changing the subject and dispelling the sudden tension in the air. "I wonder why he had this wing built." She ran her fingers over the textured rice paper. "It's new, isn't it?"

"Yes. Follow me." He turned away and began walking towards the center of the palace complex.

The silence pounded in her ears. "Doesn't it bother you that no one has tried to stop us yet?" she asked with an edge to her voice.

"No."

Kagome frowned as dark thoughts flowed through her mind. She didn't expect to find huge amounts of soldiers blocking their way, but the hush residing in the palace was gnawing at her mind.

Perhaps it would be an ambush. But no. To try trapping Sesshoumaru now would be ridiculous. Actually, the better word would be 'deadly', or perhaps 'incredibly stupid'.

They twisted through the building, with Kagome trailing behind the demon lord. He seemed to know where he was going, although she had no idea _how_ he knew. Maybe all palaces were built the same way. The Lord of the Western Lands had to have a mansion of his own, right?

Of course, Koga hadn't had a grand home. He lived in a _cave_ with dozens of his kin, which always struck Kagome as odd for a youkai of noble blood.

She felt a familiar tug on her heartstrings as she thought of the wolf prince. Of all humans, hanyou and youkai, Kagome thought he would have been the least likely to leave her. And yet, he had left her, just like the others.

The hall widened suddenly into a large central chamber. To their left sat a high-backed chair, where the vassal probably sat to hear audiences of his peasant subjects.

"In there," the Western Lord murmured, gesturing to the insignificant looking door next to the throne. He moved towards it, his boots making no noise upon the hardwood floor.

"I don't know, Sesshoumaru," Kagome said. Her previous insecurities flared within her once again. "This could be a trap. Are you sure you want to go in there?"

Stopping and turning to face her, he smirked slightly. "Are you showing concern for me, half-breed?"

She scoffed. "Don't count on it. I just don't want to be killed because of your mistakes."

"This Sesshoumaru does not make mistakes," he answered coolly, walking towards the door once again and sliding it open with one fluid motion. The room was dark; its blackness seemed to seep out onto Sesshoumaru's clothing. Kagome watched as his eyes flashed red. "Come out, coward."

Sesshoumaru stepped back to allow a tall, sallow demon to stumble out into the light. His stringy black hair fell into his eyes and the signs of stress and worry hid any indication of his true age. He was wearing clothing similar to what Kagome had seen Jaken wear, but it was loose and hung grotesquely over his thin frame. His crouching form hid the fact that he was probably as tall as Sesshoumaru himself.

The demon immediately backed away and cowered next to his throne. He threw his hands over his face, effectively blocking the hanyou and Western Lord from his sight.

"Some vassal you are," commented Kagome offhandedly. "You caught the guy and now you can't look him in the eye? He's _just_ a powerful demon lord." She approached him slowly, still aware that this could be the trap she feared. "You are the vassal, aren't you? The one who threw Sesshoumaru into that prison?"

"N-n-no!" the demon stuttered, keeping his eyes covered. "It wasn't me!"

"Then you aren't the vassal that owns this place?" Kagome frowned and leaned back, perplexed.

"He is," growled Sesshoumaru. "But he was not the youkai that condemned me that slime pit. He is, after all, just a vassal. I would imagine the true lord of this land was the one who captured this Sesshoumaru."

"I see." She leaned over the vassal once again. "Where is Sesshoumaru's stuff? The swords and the armor?" After a moment of silence, she pried his hands off his face in frustration. This only caused him to cower down more and clamp his eyes shut. "Look at me!" she barked.

He yelped but cracked open one sickly green colored eye. "What do you want?" he croaked.

The inuyoukai ignored the simpering fool and entered the dark room, searching for the deadly Tokijin and life-giving Tenseiga, as well as his armor. It had been broken and repaired so many times, he had become quite used to it battered appearance and was reluctant to part with it. He quickly found all three items on a side table in the small, bare room.

He was displeased to find that none of them had been properly maintained during the last five months, but that was to be expected from such a worthless vassal. The Western Lord would have Jaken clean them upon his return.

When he emerged, Sesshoumaru discovered Kagome interrogating the vassal for his name.

"Tell me!"

"No!"

Apparently, the youkai had gotten a bit more courage in the last few minutes. Not for long however.

Kagome trailed her sharp claws down his cheek, leaving a thin line of blood. "Tell me," she whispered dangerously. "Surely you don't want to die for the pathetic matter of not telling me your name?"

"Izo," he peeped immediately.

She curled her lip in disgust at his cowardice and backed away. "Good thing it's a short name. You probably would have choked if it was any longer."

Sesshoumaru watched this as he calmly fastened the last part of his armor and walked over to the pair. Without pretension, he lifted the vassal two feet into the air by the front of his brown clothing. "Now… explain."

The youkai grasped at a pendant lying on his chest and began to make a clucking noise. The Western Lord arched an eyebrow when Kagome cleared her throat. "I think he's too scared to talk, Sesshoumaru," she scoffed.

"Very well." He moved to the left five feet and roughly deposited the vassal onto his carved throne. "_Now_ you will explain yourself."

Izo seemed to have lost his power of speech completely as he retreated to the back of the chair, pulled his knees up and buried his head in his arms.

"This is getting old," gritted out Kagome. She cracked her knuckles and growled softly. "Answer Sesshoumaru's questions or I'll rip you a new one."

The inuyoukai turned his attention to the female next to him. "What does 'rip you a new one' mean?"

The hanyou's cheeks colored slightly. "Never mind." The red tinge left her face and she spun to face the vassal again. "But I assure you that it _will _be painful. So answer the damn question!"

A fleeting thought of being the 'bad cop' passed through her mind. But that would make Sesshoumaru the 'good cop' and _that_ would be completely ludicrous.

If it was possible, the vassal recoiled further into the seat. One look at the now glowing eyes of Sesshoumaru and Kagome's deadly claws made the decision for him. "Fine! Just… don't hurt me. This palace used to belong to a human, so my lord told me to take his dangerous prisoner to my own dungeon which disallows demonic abilities."

"Who is this lord of yours?" growled the Western Lord. "Where is he?"

"I don't know! He sent orders that yesterday everyone in my court had to leave except a few guards!" Izo shrieked, throwing his hands over his face once again, clearly expecting an attack.

The female hanyou placed a hand on Sesshoumaru's remaining arm and gently pulled him back, ignoring the glare she received for her actions. "Fine," sighed Kagome, "just keep going then."

The vassal spread his fingers and peeked through. Once satisfied he would not die immediately, he spoke again. "He said that you had a special sword called the Tetsusaiga. He said that your father made it and so his son should now hold it." He paused and seemed to be holding back tears. "But you didn't have it! One of the swords you were carrying possessed two of my men before we could get it into the storeroom. And the other wouldn't cut paper!"

"You captured and held this Sesshoumaru for five months for the sword?" His growl rose in volume and pitch, and Kagome knew he was insulted that his captor had no interest in the actual Western Lord.

She covered a smirk.

"My lord was curious about you too!" whimpered the vassal, sensing Sesshoumaru's anger. He twisted the pendant's chain in his hands. "That's why we kept you alive. He wanted to question you himself, but was busy with other matters."

"What would he have to question Sesshoumaru about?" asked Kagome.

Izo cast a terrified glance at the Western Lord. "I don't know! Really! Probably about the sword… and… and maybe about his lands' defenses."

Kagome suddenly lunged forward to pluck the pendant from the vassal's fingers. He yelped as she yanked and broke the chain. "What is this?" she hissed. "You've been playing with it ever since we got here and I saw the same thing on your guards."

"It's… It's the emblem of my lord… We wear it to show our allegiance to him." He made a weak reach for it, but Kagome just handed it over to the Western Lord. It lay in his open palm.

"Look at this symbol on it," she said with a lowered voice. She traced the indention with her claws. "It looks like an eight-sided star." The bottom tail was elongated further than the others and pierced a sphere. "What does it mean?"

The Western Lord let out a soft growl of frustration. "I feel as if I should recognize it, but I do not."

They looked at the vassal, who just shook his head and buried it into his hands once again.

A wide, wicked smile spread across the hanyou's face. "You know more than what you're saying. Just tell us." She stepped back a few feet and held her arms out. "Don't you see what's going on? Your lord has _abandoned_ you."

She said the word with such vehemence that Izo began to weep. Even the taiyoukai beside her arched an eyebrow.

Taking a deep breath, she continued, "Hardly any guards, in the middle of nowhere with a homicidal demon lord a short distance away. It doesn't scream 'protection', does it?"

But Izo seemed to be past coherent speech or thought.

Sesshoumaru hated useless informants. His eyes glowed a deep red as he reached out and grabbed the vassal's chin. With a vicious snarl, he snapped the youkai's neck in a quick movement. As the red faded back into gold, he glanced at Kagome. To his surprise, she was looking at him with a calm, even pleased, expression. It would be rather unnerving, had he been anyone else.

"Well, I guess he had nothing more to say. Let's go." After retrieving the pendant, she turned away from the dead demon slumped on the chair and began to walk towards the exit.

Looking down at his tattered clothing, he said, "I wish to find more suitable attire before we leave."

She turned around, tilted her head and swept her eyes over him. "You do look rather like a street urchin."

He growled softly. "After we quit this place, we must have a talk about your insolence and your ill-timed comments."

"And how it's all so charming?" Her eyes glittered with cruel laughter. "You can't hurt me, Sesshoumaru. You promised."

"You may _convince_ me to act against my promises for once, half-breed."

"Right, whatever." She walked out of the room, but her voice called back to the annoyed youkai. "Come on, he must have some nice clothing around here somewhere."

With surprising speed, Kagome found the vassal's bedchamber. When Sesshoumaru found her, she was already rooting through his drawers and closet.

He spotted her feet moving behind the large bureau drawer doors. She was humming a cheery tune that the taiyoukai found quite irritating. Peeking around the edge of the door, she pointed to the bed. "I've thrown some clothes on there already. See if they'll fit."

The youkai stared with distaste at the coarse material on the bed.

She poked her head out of the bureau again. "Don't scowl. It gives you wrinkles."

"I do not _get_ wrinkles. And this clothing is unsuitable."

"I can't help it if Izo has… oh sorry, _had_ bad taste." She smiled at him.

"You are insane, girl." He caught another kimono as she threw it at his face, noting that it was equally as bad as the others.

"Possibly," she commented. "But it's my demon blood. I keep telling you that." She took on a pensive expression. "Perhaps it was watching you kill Izo. Got me a bit charged up I guess."

Both of the youkai's eyebrows arched so high that they were hidden by his bangs.

"Hmm. You find that surprising," she commented.

"I do."

"Why?" Her voice was muffled as she turned back to the drawers.

"I recall you once had a aversion towards killing." He caught yet another kimono and was pleased to see this one was at least silk, if not very well made.

"When I was human," she said with a bitter tone.

"It was not that long ago." He joined her at the bureau and reached past her into the piles of clothing. Izo might not have had much taste, but he evidently had bought out several markets' worth of clothing.

"Maybe not. But it seems like it's been forever. Why do you care?"

"It is helpful when I can predict my enemy's actions," he reflected.

"Ah-ha!" she shrieked, as she pulled out a burgundy silk kimono. It was definitely the gem of his entire wardrobe. She spun around, and surprised the inuyoukai by holding the top up against his shoulders. Her fingers accidentally brushed the stump of his left arm, but she didn't flinch.

Brown eyes met his golden ones. "I think this will do nicely. We're lucky he was as tall as you." She draped the kimono over his arm. "And I'm not your enemy, Sesshoumaru. I'm your traveling companion now."

"I do not trust you," he pointed out.

"No, I suppose not. And I don't trust you either. But if you consider everyone you don't trust as an enemy, then everyone in your life is your enemy and you have no friends."

"I am not ashamed of that, nor should I be." He turned away, placed the new kimono on the bed and unwrapped his tail from his shoulder. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, "I suggest that you leave if you do not wish to see me unclothed."

Kagome smirked. "Well, normally my modesty would force me out of the room, but don't you need help?"

He glared at her. "No."

Rolling her eyes, she walked to the door. "Fine. But if you're not out there in twenty minutes, I'm coming in after you. We don't have all day to satisfy your male pride."

She exited the room, shut the doors firmly behind her and sat down in the hallway.

"You irritate me, half-breed," said Sesshoumaru from inside the chamber. Although the walls stood at least six inches thick, the doors could not prevent two creatures with demonic hearing from communicating.

"I think you've mentioned that before," she commented. "But now you know I'm here in case you need help."

"I shall die before accepting your help, wench."

"I've _already_ helped you, so you might as well fall on that sword of yours," she scoffed. "As long as we're here, we might as well discuss something important."

"Tell me why and how you have become a half-breed," he demanded.

Kagome gave the doors a deadly stare. "In due time, I'll answer those questions. I was thinking more about Izo."

"He is dead."

"I _know_ that, Sesshoumaru…" she trailed off for a moment. "That's such a long name. Can I call you Sess?"

"_No_," he gritted out emphatically.

His mother had called him 'Sess' when he was quite small. As he grew, he requested that she call him by the name given by his father. He remembered the pained look that fleeted over her face that was quickly replaced with one of amusement. She then called him 'Sesshoumaru-chan'.

That was three hundred years ago. Memories of his mother were no longer remembered fondly.

"Fine," she huffed.

'This is without a doubt the most infuriating side of her personality she has shown yet,' he thought grimly.

"Anyway," the hanyou continued, "my point was that a lot of stuff about this place just doesn't feel right." She looked down and started to clean the dried blood out from underneath her nails. "I mean, it's obvious I was right and the lord _did_ abandon his vassal. But why?"

"Look around, wench. It is not difficult to deduce what happened." He was on the edge of growling as he struggled to tie the sash around his waist. After four years, he should have gotten the hang of this.

Kagome frowned in concentration.

After a few more minutes the door opened and the taiyoukai stepped out attired in his new kimono, coupled with his armor and swords.

Her face broke into a smile. "Well, I think it looks better on you than it would on Izo."

An arched eyebrow was her only reply.

"I've been thinking about it, as you suggested, but I can't figure out what happened here."

He stood over her and inwardly sighed. "This lord gave Izo a large sum of money and other treasures. Instead of using it as the lord wished, Izo squandered it on clothes, paintings and additions to his castle."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "So when Izo told him that you didn't have the sword, the lord just left you here. He knew you would eventually break out and kill Izo. And why should he care? You didn't have Tetsusaiga."

The Western Lord began to walk away and listened to the girl scramble after him. "That is what I believe for the most part."

She caught up to him. "For the most part?"

"Most lords would not give up the chance to destroy this Sesshoumaru."

Nodding again, she looked up at him. "Do you have any theories about it?"

His lip twitched slightly. "For once, this Sesshoumaru is in the dark."

Kagome chose to not tease him about his frustration. "There's another question though. Why would this lord want the Tetsusaiga? I mean, he's a demon lord right? How could he even touch it?"

Sesshoumaru remained silent, contemplating the issue. He recalled the first time that he had discovered he couldn't touch the Tetsusaiga and his frustration. Then, the girl beside him had surprised everyone by releasing it from the spell and handing it over to his brother.

His brother, who wielded their father's Fang like a wet rag. How humiliating for the family.

They quickly reached the door through which they had entered the complex. Sesshoumaru stopped in front of it and turned to the hanyou. "We shall go back to my home in the west."

"Okay," she agreed. "You probably need some time to recover."

"I have nothing to recover from," he retorted.

"Well, I'm sure you want to see Rin, don't you?"

He kept a tight hold onto the growl rising in his throat, but he couldn't deny that he would be pleased to see his ward again. Not that he would admit it to the half-breed.

Instead, he observed, "No matter how the lord intends to use the Tetsusaiga, he must not be allowed to have it."

"Definitely," Kagome agreed.

"I do not trust my brother to protect the Fang. On the way to my castle, we shall meet Inuyasha and take Tetsusaiga from him."

"What makes you think you can get it?" Kagome asked indignantly.

Sesshoumaru growled. "It shall be worth the battle. You should not care anymore. He chose the undead miko over you."

"I didn't say he _chose_ her," she whispered. "Besides, I think that Inuyasha would be able to manage."

Her heart began to constrict once again at the thought of the male hanyou, but she refused to let it affect her anymore. She had spent enough time crying over him. There was a new mission to concentrate on and a new nemesis.

"Like I said before, you don't need to worry about Inuyasha."

"I do not agree. My little brother can be quite _impulsive_ in battle and could easily lose the Tetsusaiga to a foe."

Kagome sighed and scratched behind her crimson-colored ear. "Well, let me put it this way. What if Inuyasha didn't _have_ the Tetsusaiga anymore?"

His eyes flashed red and he pushed her into the wall, placing his forearm beneath her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes. "Where is the Fang, wench?"

"Let… let me go!" she choked. "You promised!"

The inuyoukai took a deep breath and backed away while Kagome began coughing and massaging her throat and collarbone.

"Jackass," she wheezed.

"The Tetsusaiga," he snarled.

After a few more moments, the girl straightened up and, without any words, removed her black cloak. Underneath, she was wearing a demon exterminator uniform like her friend Sango's, except fiery red where hers had been pink.

But this was not what Sesshoumaru noticed. His eyes were fixed on the object by her side.

"Tetsusaiga," he muttered. Restraining himself from attacking her again, he spat, "How did you get my father's sword?"

"Inuyasha _gave _it to me, so don't think that I stole it, okay?" She was still rubbing at her throat.

"You have many questions to answer, wench."

His mind was racing. There was no way his idiot sibling would give the Tetsusaiga away, even if the wench was a hanyou now. However, he always knew when he was lied to, and she was not lying.

Kagome took a risk and stepped towards the angry taiyoukai. "I'll answer them all, if you just let me find a place to camp and clean up." Her ears twitched, as if they alone were aware of the danger she was making for herself. "You could use a bath too, you know."

Sesshoumaru discretely took a few deep breaths. Killing her would not answer any of his questions. And more rage might just scare her off. "Very well."

"Good, I left my bag a little ways to the west. Let's go get it and we'll settle down for the rest of the night."

The taiyoukai watched her form become enveloped into the darkness as she stepped outside. 'She will be the death of me,' he thought as he moved to follow her.

A/N: The first version of this chapter included a battle between Sesshoumaru/Kagome and the guards of the palace… but I felt that this eerie silence scenario would work much better overall. Anyway, keep reading - I love all of you that reviewed!

Review responses removed due to ban


	3. Enter Washi, the Eagle Child

A/N: Just a warning – this is NOT a happy chapter. At all. Kagome will be explaining why she so messed up, so you can imagine _how_ not happy it will be. But I felt that this was all necessary, pivotal even, to the plot. Sorry.

Remember – just because Kagome answers Sesshoumaru's questions doesn't mean she's telling the whole truth. So don't run off! Keep reading!

By the way – If you're not a member and want to know when I update, just tell me and give me your email and I'll email you when I put up a new chapter.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 3: Enter Washi, the Eagle Child

Kagome sat down next to the roaring fire and began to towel her hair dry. The Western Lord sat across from her, considerably cleaner than he had been two hours previously. The burgundy kimono clung to his body where it was still damp from his time in the hot spring nearby, giving the hanyou another peek at his impressive physique. But Kagome had never gawked a lot at boys and she easily averted her gaze.

"Ah, much better," murmured the hanyou as she felt the warmth envelope her. She had shed her constricting demon exterminator uniform in favor of the more comfortable traditional miko garb. With the white shirt, deep red pants and sandals, the inuyoukai could see why so many people confused her with Kikyo.

"Now, answer my questions." He was bothered by the fact that his usual patient demeanor had escaped him.

She wasn't listening to him though, as she began rooting through her bag. "I just know I have one more…" she muttered. "I was saving it for a celebratory dinner." Her eyes lifted to meet his through the flames. "Would you like some ramen? We could split it, if I ever find the damn thing."

"I do not eat human food." His voice was tinged by a growl that he could not suppress.

"What exactly _do_ you eat?" Her question was muffled as she buried her head into the overstuffed yellow backpack.

"Lesser youkai."

Her head popped out of the bag and she gave him a look of disgust. "Excuse me?"

"I eat lesser youkai."

"What exactly is a _lesser_ youkai?"

"One that does not have the capability of speech," he answered calmly. Sesshoumaru's previous impatience ebbed slightly. If he must answer simple questions about his eating habits, he would do it gladly if she returned the favor by answering his own questions.

Her eyebrow arched. "So you have conversations with your dinner before you kill them, to make sure they can't talk?"

"This Sesshoumaru has probably ingested a few youkai that were, in fact, capable of speech, but there have not been many. Just as humans have cattle and chickens, youkai have their own herds of edible creatures."

The revulsion she felt faded slightly. "But you eat youkai in the wild as well, don't you?"

"Yes. Do not humans hunt and fish?"

She frowned thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess so. I suppose I just see a big difference between eating a fish and a youkai. I mean, haven't you heard of fruit?"

"You are becoming tedious again," he said, disdain lacing his voice. "However, to answer your inane question, human food is inferior and most youkai refuse to eat it. And we have no need of fruit or vegetables, although we will eat it if absolutely necessary."

"See? That wasn't so hard, even if my question was 'inane'." Kagome reached into her bag once more and eventually pulled out a small white container of ramen noodles. She stared at it with distaste. "Now that I've found it, I'm not really hungry any more. All this talk about eating youkai. Ugh."

Sesshoumaru watched as she tossed the odd covered cup back into her bag. He hoped that she wouldn't now complain about her lack of food.

Before he could ask about this 'mission' into which the girl had trapped him, a scent hit his nose. Another youkai was nearby and closing fast.

He was on his feet and growling before Kagome could even breathe. "What's with you?" she asked, with her hands pressed on the ground and ready to spring to action. "Smell something?"

"Obviously I do, half-breed. Now, be quiet," he snarled.

The hanyou lifted her nose to the air and began to inhale deeply. She smelled the flowers of the nearby bushes, the dirt, the burning wood and the surprising scent of sage and lavender coming from Sesshoumaru. If she had been any less tense, she would have laughed at his rather feminine scent.

Then, another aroma came to her, one that she wouldn't have noticed had she not been trying. It was the scent of fresh spring air after a rainfall.

The Western Lord crouched and leapt straight up into the air, where Kagome could not follow. She stood and craned her neck back to watch his dark form rise into the night air. A smaller form crested over the tree line and Sesshoumaru moved to intercept it, eliciting a cry of surprise from the mysterious creature.

As the taiyoukai returned to the forest floor, Kagome's eyes grew wide as she spotted what he held under his arm.

A kid.

"It is the demon child you set free," explained Sesshoumaru, once he noticed her shocked expression. "He sought us out. You see what you have done by freeing those prisoners."

"I do see," she murmured as he set the child on the ground.

He was blushing furiously and his bright green eyes were trained on the ground as he nervously pushed back his brown hair. A pair of large brown and white feathered wings folded across his back, and he barely reached Sesshoumaru's waist.

Kagome frowned. "Why were you following us?"

The demon flinched at her harsh tone, but had the presence of mind to answer promptly. "I have nowhere else to go. I'm an orphan." His voice was sweet and innocent.

"What does that have to do with us?"

He looked up at the dog hanyou. "You and your mate saved me. I figured you could help me more," he stated with confidence in his childlike logic.

Sesshoumaru snorted. "We are _not_ mates. As if I would mate with a one such as her."

Kagome ignored the Western Lord's petty comment and concentrated more on the kid's second statement. "Why should we help you? I was just freeing the prisoners, that's all. I thought you understood that back in the dungeon," she said, recalling the hug he had given her.

His face fell. "I have nowhere else to go," he repeated.

"That's your problem, not mine," retorted the hanyou. "I don't need another kid hanging around, okay?"

"But… Izo had my parents killed when they couldn't pay my ransom. Then, he just forgot about me after robbing their estate. I have nothing." The child was crying now, albeit silently. He wouldn't allow his voice to waver as the tears rolled down his cheeks.

Kagome swallowed and looked away, trying not to smell the salt marring his spring rain scent. It didn't seem right to have tears smearing that smell. "Go find someone else to take you in, kid. That's not my job anymore."

Sesshoumaru watched this exchange with interest. He felt the pain emanating off of both of them, the fresh pain of the child and the old pain of the hanyou miko. Although the suffering of his newest tormentor amused him, he rarely took pleasure in the suffering of children.

The youngster was drawing shapes in the dirt with his bare toe. "I thought you were nice, but I guess I was wrong."

"I guess you were," she retorted.

The demon child sniffed, the only audible sign of his tears so far. Slowly, he trudged out of the circle of yellow light cast by the fire.

The Western Lord sighed and moved to intercept the small youkai.

The young demon yipped softly when he looked up into the taiyoukai's deadly amber eyes.

"What is your name?"

"Washi," he said, with a glance towards the stupefied Kagome.

'Despite her rejection, he still wants to be near her,' he observed with slight surprise. Out loud, he said, "You will be permitted to stay with us."

The hanyou sputtered a bit before forming words. This was all happening much too fast for her. "Sesshoumaru! I'm not taking care of another orphaned youkai, okay?"

Washi's eyes widened. Sesshoumaru? This was the Lord of the Western Lands? He should have guessed, seeing the crescent moon upon his brow. Everyone with any decent amount of information knew that was the symbol of the West. His eyes lowered to the ground and he smiled at his feet.

"Ridiculous," he responded. "Demons can take care of themselves, no matter what age."

"Isn't this a bit _kindhearted_ of you, Sesshoumaru?" she sneered, pushing down the hurt that suddenly rose in her chest. Did he mean that Shippo had never needed her?

The Western Lord didn't flinch at the intended insult. "The child will be a good companion for Rin. He is about her age. She needs contact with other children. Although, this Sesshoumaru should not have to explain my reasoning to you, half-breed."

"You're a half demon?" piped up Washi, wanting to change the subject so that the girl could not object anymore.

Kagome sent him a glare. "Yes. Can't you smell _anything_?" she spat, earning her another pained expression from the child.

Sesshoumaru smirked at the hanyou's lack of knowledge. "Eagle demons' sense of smell barely compares even to a human's. Their eyesight, however, surpasses all other youkai."

Washi grinned at the inuyoukai, happy that someone understood. The fact was that both the hanyou and the intimidating demon lord had given him the impression that he would be safe with them. Now that he learned that he was with the infamous Sesshoumaru, Lord of the Western Lands, Washi was sure he had made the right choice.

He was a high-spirited child before Izo had kidnapped him, and that energy was quickly returning after several months of remission. Washi was convinced that he would be able to win over the hanyou. She seemed to be in pain over something in her past, but he knew that she was essentially a good creature. After all, she had freed him and the others without any questions or demands for reward, hadn't she?

Sesshoumaru's voice broke into his thoughts. "Be warned that we will not travel slowly for your sake. You will receive no special treatment."

"I understand," responded Washi.

He watched the girl as she sighed in frustration and sat down next to the fire. "What's your name?" he ventured to ask.

"Kagome."

"That's pretty."

"Hmm." She closed her eyes and leaned back against a log. Almost immediately, she sensed a presence and peeked out to see the glittering green eyes of the eagle child as he bent over her. "What?" she said, scowling.

"You're pretty too. I like your ears. Can I touch them?"

His tiny hand reached out and Kagome noticed that they resembled talons more than the usual demon claws. "I suppose so," she muttered uneasily.

She felt the hard material of his talons scraped gently across the edges of her blood-red ears and then the pads of his fingers began to massage them. Kagome's eyes fluttered closed and she had to fight the impulse to growl in contentment. It was similar to when her mother would stroke her hair after a hard week in the Feudal Era. It was _comforting_.

Her eyes snapped open and she pulled away from Washi's fingers. "That's enough," she whispered, but her voice held no anger.

"Okay," he responded, staring at her with his striking, innocent eyes.

"You… should go to sleep," Kagome commented.

"Yeah, I should," he agreed quickly, eager to please. He spread his powerful wings and flapped them a few times to lift himself off the ground. Flying up to the trees, he chose a sturdy branch and settled down.

Kagome felt the demon lord's eyes burning into her back. Flipping her hair over her shoulder, she turned to him. "So, what do you want to ask me?" She just wanted to forget the child for the moment, even if that meant bringing up painful memories. Just as long as she didn't cry, everything would be alright.

Sesshoumaru sat down next to a tree and closed his eyes. In the firelight, he appeared more ethereal than usual. His burgundy clothing reflected the reds and oranges onto his face and hair. "Perhaps you should just start from the beginning," he said coldly. In truth, he was relieved she would answer his questions. He really didn't want to get her filthy blood all over the only clothing he possessed at the moment, which would happen if she tested his patience any further.

The hanyou nodded in agreement. "Okay, but you really don't know what you're asking for."

"Just explain, half-breed."

"Hmm." She put a clawed finger to her lips. "Where to start? Ah! I know. The future."

This statement got the desired effect; Sesshoumaru opened his eyes and stared at her. "The future," he repeated.

"Yes. It's where I'm from."

"Impossible." The eyes were closed again.

"Not really. You know that well by Kaede's village? In Inuyasha's Forest?"

A long pause followed and Sesshoumaru decided she wanted a verbal answer. "Yes. I know it."

"It connects my era, which is about 500 years in the future, with this era. I can pass through with the Shikon jewel."

Another pause, while Sesshoumaru decided that the story was too ridiculous to be fabricated. "Go on."

"One day, while I was in the well house in my era, I fell through and found Inuyasha pinned to the tree. I set him free when a demon threatened my life. After the jewel shattered, we gathered them, as you know. And we helped people while we did it. That's the short version anyway." She decided to leave out the fact that _she_ had been the one to shatter the jewel, not sure if he knew it already.

"That does not answer any of my questions."

She frowned. "It wasn't supposed to. But you _did_ ask why I became a hanyou, and you needed to know that to understand my logic."

"I have come to the decision that you _have_ no logic, wench."

"Whatever." Kagome stood up and moved to sit between the fire and Sesshoumaru, with the fire heating up her backside. She watched as his eyes opened yet again, with a hint of curiosity at her comfort. "When did my friends and I see you last?"

"Nine months ago, when you trespassed onto the Western Lands."

"Whatever," she said again. "Let's see… At that time, Naraku still had most of the jewel shards. In fact, besides the ones I held and Koga had, he had all of them. We knew that a fight was coming and so we prepared for it as best we could. Inuyasha even allowed Koga and his clan to join us."

Sesshoumaru momentarily found it impressive that his brother would put his pride aside long enough to let the wolf clan help. "When was this?"

"About six months ago. We could have used your help, you know." Her tone held accusation in it.

"I was occupied elsewhere," he responded.

In truth, Sesshoumaru would have assisted his idiot brother had he known of the battle against the greedy hanyou, but he _had_ been across the country. He had heard of an herb that prolonged life, especially in humans and wished to inquire about it. After all, Rin would grow old and die in a blink of his demon eye if he didn't interfere with the natural course of things. And he did _not_ like to lose his possessions.

"We were doing good at first," she continued, oblivious to the demon lord's wandering attention. "But then it went all downhill."

Flashes of screaming and battle noises passed through her mind. Blood seemed to be covering her and she didn't know who it belonged to, nor did she care. Adrenaline was pulsing through her body, forcing it to act in ways Kagome had never thought possible.

She was like an animal possessed. Watching her friends get hurt had pushed the human over the edge of control.

And then there was _laughter_. Naraku jeered from the back of the battle as he observed the miko bathe in the sticky red liquid. "You have lost your innocence, priestess!" he taunted as he joined the fray.

"Continue," said Sesshoumaru, his voice breaking her away from the painful memories. He sensed her agitation and did not wish to be burdened with a weeping miko.

She shook her head. "Oh, where was I?"

"Events had taken an unfortunate turn."

"Yeah," she said, as her fingers pulled at the grass beside her. She told herself to keep it simple and sterile, to help prevent any nervous breakdowns. "Miroku saw that we weren't going to win against all those demons, so he used his wind tunnel."

The Western Lord remembered the hive Naraku had given him during their short alliance, before he had tried to betray and injure the inuyoukai. "Did the hanyou not have the poisonous insects with him?"

"He did," breathed Kagome. "But Miroku was determined. He killed at least a thousand demons before the poison got to him. He died fairly quickly."

'Oh damn,' she thought as her eyes prickled. 'Kami give me strength to get through this.' She fought back the tears as she recalled her best friend's cries of anguish over the fallen monk. The demon exterminator had pleaded with him not to use the wind tunnel and yet, he was dead seconds later.

It hurt so much to watch the living Sango bending over her dead love, crying and oblivious to the approaching demons. Only Inuyasha's yells had brought her out of her stupor and back into the battle.

But Kagome could see that the male hanyou was deeply hurt as well. The monk was gone, never to grope another woman, give his wise advice, or hit Inuyasha on the head for his ridiculous comments.

"Sango was next," she whispered. "I don't think she was really thinking clearly after Miroku died. So when Kohaku came after her, she didn't pay attention to things she could normally have beaten easily. She had to watch as Naraku pulled out the shard that kept her brother alive. When he died, Sango lost _all_ of her composure. The next demon that came after her killed her easily. Kirara died protecting her body."

'So much for keeping it simple,' mused the girl sadly. The prickling returned in full force.

Sesshoumaru frowned. "Do not cry," he stated.

"I'm trying," she argued.

"Do _not_ cry." He hated crying females. They were so weak.

She sniffed a bit.

"Continue."

"Fine," she agreed softly. "Koga died defending me from some huge incarnation of Naraku. His death left me alone with Inuyasha and Shippo."

"The fox child."

"Yes," Kagome whispered. She really didn't want to speak of her adopted son. It was too painful.

"He died as well."

The girl just nodded as a torrent of tears began to run down her face. "He… he tried to fight. He said that he had to. To protect me."

Sesshoumaru's scowl deepened. "You're lying." He could smell the guilt coming off of her in waves. The kit was dead, that much was certain. But the manner in which he died was under serious debate in his mind.

"Please, I can't talk about that right now."

As it was, Kagome knew she would be haunted by Shippo's image that night in her dreams. Not that she wanted to sleep after this conversation.

"Then continue explaining and stop crying," the Western Lord responded, deciding the kit's death was a topic for another time. "What of my brother?"

"Aren't you seeing a trend here?" she shot at him, using the palm of hand to wipe away her tears. "He's dead."

Sesshoumaru remained still for a moment, processing this new information. For all of his life, Inuyasha had been a nuisance and, later, an enemy. He felt no true sadness at the announcement of his death, but he did feel _something_. Perhaps it was regret that they could never be brothers.

No. It was more likely to be anger that someone else had taken Inuyasha's life. That had been _his_ job.

"You said he had chosen the undead miko," he said finally.

"No, that was your assumption."

He frowned slightly. His memory was perfectly sound and the girl had definitely suggested that Kikyo had been chosen over her reincarnation. But the matter was unimportant. Just another thing to be discussed at a later date, but now, he wanted more relevant answers. He had a feeling that the wench would not talk of the final battle anymore after tonight. Not for awhile at least.

"How did he die?"

Kagome wiped away a new set of tears. 'Damn,' she scolded herself silently, 'I've cried enough for him. Stop it!'

Aloud, she said, "Injuries that couldn't heal. Naraku died by Inuyasha's hand, but that didn't mean that your brother got away without a few deep cuts."

If she expected Sesshoumaru to make rude, cynical comments about the frailty of half-breeds, she was mistaken. He sat in front of her, silent and unmoved.

"Before he died, he gave me the completed jewel and the Tetsusaiga. He said that he didn't want me to waste the wish on bringing him back or anything. He wanted me to be happy and to be able to live with good memories, not bad ones."

"Fascinating," drawled the Western Lord sarcastically.

She glared at him through a hazy sheen of tears. "What's your problem?"

"Humans have such disgusting sentimentalities," he said, as if that explained everything.

Kagome wanted to make scathing remarks about his father and the 'sentimentality' he had shown towards Inuyasha's mother. Or she could mention Sesshoumaru's attachment to Rin. Or Jaken's attachment to _him_. Anything to prove that demons had soft places in their hearts as well.

Instead, she felt the need to elaborate. "Inuyasha had admitted he loved me. He wanted me to become his mate after Naraku was destroyed and we had the complete Shikon again. Shippo was going to be adopted as our son." She paused and stared into the amber eyes that reminded her so little, and yet so much of Inuyasha's. "That's how it was _supposed_ to be."

'Well, that explains why she doesn't smell of my brother,' he mused in silence.

"We were going to be a _family_," she whispered, momentarily forgetting her companion's very presence.

"Why did you not return to your era after the battle?" asked Sesshoumaru, ignoring her emotional rambling.

Her eyes glittered with anger as they refocused on his face. "You think I could go back after all that happened? As much as I love my family, I can't return to that life. I couldn't go to school and pretend that nothing unusual has happened in my life."

"And so you wished to become a hanyou."

She calmed down somewhat, allowing her eyes to stop blazing and her heart to stop thrumming so hard against the inside of her chest. "Yes. Having both demon and human blood was the only way I could use Tetsusaiga. And I was determined to continue helping people. I couldn't really do that as a _weak_ human." She gave him a grim smile and lifted a hand to her ears.

Sesshoumaru glanced up towards the red triangles atop her head, but said nothing.

Kagome blinked and got back on the subject. "Anyway, I haven't even tried going back through the well. I don't think I can now that the jewel's gone though."

"It disappeared when you made your wish."

"Yeah," she murmured.

"You will show me proof of all that you have said."

The corner of her eye twitched. "Fine. On the way to your home, I'll show you their graves."

A silence briefly settled over them as Sesshoumaru contemplated any other questions.

"How did you find this Sesshoumaru?" he finally asked out of pure curiosity. The fact that it had not been Jaken that had appeared at his cell door forced him to believe that the Western Lord's whereabouts was not a widely known fact.

"Myoga had heard something," she answered stoically, trying to regain her composure. "He told me that a demon lord was captured and was being held in the east. I came here on the hunch that it was you. I mean, how many demon lords are there?"

It was a rhetorical question, but Sesshoumaru answered it anyway. "Hundreds."

Kagome's eyes widened. "I would think there was only four. You for the West, and then three others for the East, North and South. Perhaps a few lesser nobles, like Koga."

"Your lack of information astounds me, half-breed," he said dryly.

"Well, then enlighten me," she huffed.

"Your deceased friend, Koga, was indeed a wolf lord. But Inuyasha was also a lord. Have you never realized this?"

She patted at her face, drying the tears quickly. "I guess not," she admitted.

"Every type of youkai has a lord, as do the larger clans. Koga was not only the leader of his clan, but of the entire wolf youkai population. He had many nobles under his command. However, his audacity at claiming you for his mate could easily have been handled if Inuyasha had listened to his lessons as a child."

"What do you mean?" The tracks of her tears glistened as she moved forward slightly.

The wolf youkai had been furious when Inuyasha told him that she was to be the hanyou's mate. The ensuing fight had resulted in a few nasty scrapes before Kagome could get the two to stop, but she would never forget the hurt look of Koga's face when she affirmed Inuyasha's words.

"Inuyasha was my heir, since I have no pups," he explained. "Therefore, he held more power over Koga, for the four lords of the cardinal directions hold complete control over their domains. Koga was _my_ subject, and also Inuyasha's. My half-brother could easily have ordered him to stay away from you."

Sesshoumaru watched her face light up with understanding and realized that she had much to learn about the demon world. As long as he thought of her as an ignorant pup, he probably wouldn't lose patience with her.

Probably.

"Don't think he didn't try," Kagome muttered.

"Then he should have listened," observed Sesshoumaru.

"I guess Koga didn't pay attention to his lessons either."

Another short silence enveloped them. His eyebrow arched as his gaze fell upon the sheathed Tetsusaiga. "Can you use the sword?"

A blush spread across her tear-stained cheeks. "Well, kind of. It transforms for me, but it's really difficult for me to actually use it."

"It is too heavy," he stated with a smirk.

She glared at him again. "No, smart-ass. I just have never used a sword before I obtained the Tetsusaiga. I don't know _how_ to use it."

The smirk faded from his face. "Six months and you have not acquired any skill or proper training?"

Leaning forward, she gave him a hollow smile. "Well, I was kind of hoping you would help me with that. I mean, up until now, I haven't really _needed_ to use it. I'm rather a powerful hanyou if you hadn't noticed. But with this new lord around, I have a feeling I will be needing some assistance."

A growl rose inside his chest. "That was not part of our agreement."

Now the hanyou smirked. "Actually, it was. You agreed to 'help me on my quest' and this would definitely be of some help."

"You are a trickster," he growled.

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"It was not intended to be as such."

"I know." She stood up, stretched and hopped into the branches directly above his head. He was clearly annoyed at her and Kagome really didn't want to enter into an argument. The day had taken too much out of her.

"What are you doing, half-breed?"

"I'm going to rest, obviously. I'm not going to sleep though, so don't you try anything sneaky." Kagome lay down in a curiously feline position and closed her eyes.

The Western Lord listened to her breathing above him and smelled the scent of salt mingled with the citrus. She was silently crying again.

He stole a glance upward to the hanyou who was feigning relaxation. Her hair fluttered as she exhaled into the loose strands and her eyelashes glistened with tears. With closed eyes and a closed mouth, she was almost bearable to be around.

Shaking his head, Sesshoumaru forced his thoughts back to what she had told him.

The girl was clearly not entirely truthful about what happened to her, but he had discovered the important facts. Naraku was dead. Inuyasha was dead. The Shikon no Tama would not trouble this world anymore. More relevant to his current situation, the hanyou girl was completely unbalanced.

He sighed. What about him attracted these headstrong women to his side? He hated headstrong women. Rin at least listened to his orders, as a good ward should, but he had no power over the hanyou. In fact, he admitted grudgingly, she had power over him, the great demon lord.

Everything else aside, he must find out exactly what she knew of this 'mission' that supposedly involved him. It disturbed him to not know what he had gotten himself into, a blemish on his perfect record of attentiveness.

Across the clearing, Washi perched in a tree. He did not need to understand everything the hanyou had said to know that her pain was deep.

'She has lost more than me,' he thought to himself.

Washi loved his parents, but they had not been around very much during his childhood. They had been the Lord and Lady of the eagle youkai, a minor but distinguished position. He knew they had cared for him, but they also had a lot of work to do and he didn't resent them for that.

He cracked open one eye and peered at Lord Sesshoumaru.

The taiyoukai sat against the tree underneath the hanyou's branch. His shoulders were tense and his face serious. Washi could tell that he was mulling over everything Kagome had told him.

With his child naivete, he assessed the situation.

Kagome was easy to figure out. A word his nanny, Nomi, had used came to his mind when he thought of the hanyou. 'Broken.' It was what Nomi had called a woman they once saw in a funeral procession. The dead man had been her husband of five hundred years and they had supposedly shared a rare thing in the demon world. They had _loved_ each other. He remembered thinking that the widow looked dead herself, because her eyes held no light and her voice was flat.

Clearly, the female hanyou suffered the same way as that widow. She had loved this Inuyasha guy and had lost him. And it sounded like she had gone through a lot of trouble to have him return her love in the first place, making it that much more painful.

Sesshoumaru would require a bit more thought. He didn't want to be here, that much was obvious. But his relationship with Kagome was under debate. Washi couldn't figure out whether he hated the hanyou or cared for her deeply. Either way, he hadn't invited Washi to join them for his health. He did it get some reaction from Kagome.

It appeared as if these two needed his help just as much as he needed them.

A/N: See? Told you it wasn't happy. I'm sorry if you hate character death, but I just don't believe that Kagome would ever fall for Sesshoumaru if Inuyasha was still around. Besides, this is a story about dealing with loss and rediscovering life.

Also, in case you were wondering, "Washi" is "eagle" in Japanese (or at least that's what the site said…)

Review responses removed due to ban


	4. Divided Interests

A/N: I really shouldn't complain since you guys have been wonderful and given me the most reviews I've ever gotten for just 3 chapters… but I'm worried about the dropping numbers of reviews for each subsequent chapter. If you don't like the story, please tell me why! It's the only way I know how to improve my writing. Anyway, whiney author stuff aside, please read and enjoy the story!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 4: Divided Interests

She stood in the midst of the massacre. Her tears mixed with the blood on her cheeks, creating red droplets that streaked down to her chin and fell on her once white shirt. 

_"Inuyasha!" she screamed._

_A figure raised itself from the carnage and turned to face her. It was Inuyasha, as she had never seen him before. He was so battered that she couldn't see a spot of flesh without a splatter of blood. Tetsusaiga hung loosely in his hand, unnoticed and untransformed. But his eyes caught her attention the most. They shone with every pain he had ever endured and were now focused on her in sadness._

_"Oh, Kami…" she whispered. She tried to move towards him, but her legs were paralyzed. "Inuyasha?"_

_His hand suddenly tightened around the hilt of Tetsusaiga and his golden eyes blazed in fury. "This is your fault." The Fang glowed and grew to its full size._

_Black clouds swirled overhead and it began to rain. As she watched the male hanyou with a wary eye, she noticed that his hair was turning crimson. She realized with a jolt that it was raining blood. Somehow, she knew it was the blood of her fallen friends._

_Her feet suddenly began to work and she scrambled backwards from her love. "Inuyasha! No! What're you saying?"_

_"Your fault!" he snarled as he ran towards her at breakneck speed with Tetsusaiga glowing red in his hands._

"No!" Kagome shot up on the branch and immediately lost her balance.

Below her, Sesshoumaru had been in deep meditation when her full weight crashed into his lap. His eyes snapped open and his hand reached out to crush the throat of the intruder.

The hanyou screamed again as she spotted the vicious golden gaze upon her, but it was cut short as his hand closed around her windpipe. She lifted a clawed hand and smacked her attacker, leaving four thin lacerations in his cheek.

He hissed and removed his hand from the spy's throat to feel the damage.

Kagome rolled off his lap and leapt to a crouching position a few feet away. "Sit!" she yelled.

Sesshoumaru blinked as the final haze of his meditative state lifted and the scent of mandarins hit his nose. "Wench," he growled, "I am not Inuyasha. You cannot control me thus."

She froze. Her hands flew up to her face and although it was wet with tears, there was no blood. Looking up, she saw traces of the coming dawn stretching across the sky. There were no ominous clouds and no crimson downpour. "Oh… oh…" she repeated over and over again in a faraway tone.

The Western Lord sneered at her dazed expression. "I am _not_ Inuyasha," he repeated. Lifting his hand once more to his cheek, he wiped away the blood from his now healed wounds.

Kagome inhaled slowly, breathing in the full-demon scent of Sesshoumaru. Her eyes grew wide as she realized the sage and lavender mixed with the metallic smell of blood. "I hurt you," she whispered, leaning forward on her knees, still winded from her fall.

"It has healed already," he pointed out, faintly wondering if he was trying to reassure her or whether he was simply telling the truth.

"Either way, I'm sorry." She pushed herself to her feet and looked around once again. The unchanging scenery reassured her that she was not still dreaming.

His eyebrow arched. "I have no need of your apologies."

"I'm sure you don't, but I'm giving you one anyway," she snapped, as she tried to rub the remaining sleep from her eyes. The images of a suffering Inuyasha planted themselves in her mind and she knew that the nightmares would continue. Her fingers rubbed harder into her eyes, nearly gouging them and making her wince in pain.

A soft fluttering sound echoed through their small clearing and the two adults turned their heads to locate the source of the disturbance.

Washi stumbled out of the shadows, his wings and hair rather ruffled. "What's going on? I heard something."

"You must sleep like the dead," commented Kagome, regretting her self-punishment as her eyes burned. "Remind me not to ever put you on watch during the night."

The young demon didn't attempt a comeback, remembering his last thought before he had fallen asleep the night before. 'She will eventually get tired of trying to insult me,' he reassured himself. So he simply stretched his wings slightly and tucked them back tightly, making him appear diminutive and beaten-down. His actions caused an uncomfortable quiet to surround them.

Kagome shifted her weight and felt her miko garb cling to her back. It was heavy with sweat from her terrifying dream. "I need a bath," she murmured, breaking the silence.

Sesshoumaru gave her a pointed look that said she was simply stating what he had known for hours.

"You could have woken me up, you know," she hissed at him. "Stopped my nightmare before it _offended_ your sensitive nose."

"_You_ offended my sense of smell, not the nightmare," he countered smoothly.

She grumbled unintelligibly, strode over to her bag and plucked out her towel and the homemade soap she 'found' in the village market a few weeks ago. Kagome didn't have the skill of Miroku to con people out of their possessions, but she did have the stealth to steal things from the market. When she had become a hanyou, she had realized how oblivious humans were to the world around them.

"Like candy from a baby," she muttered, throwing the bar of soap up into the air and catching it deftly. Quickly, Kagome left the clearing and walked towards the hot springs, without a word or look towards the others.

Washi stared after the girl for a moment and waited until he was sure she couldn't hear them before turning to the Western Lord. "Will she ever be okay again?"

Sesshoumaru glanced at him. "She is too stubborn to let go of her pain."

"She thought you were that Inuyasha guy," the child said quietly.

'So the boy was awake this entire time after all,' he noted silently. Aloud, he said, "I am aware of that."

"Do you look like him or something?"

The taiyoukai's nose twitched ever so slightly. "He was my half brother. We shared certain physical traits, nothing more."

Washi's curious eyes swept over the powerful body of the demon lord, but his breath hitched as he saw the empty left sleeve. Sesshoumaru had tackled him so effortlessly the previous night that the boy had not even noticed the missing appendage.

The demon lord's eyes followed Washi's line of sight. "Stop that."

He blinked and muttered a soft apology for staring. After a few moments of blushing and fidgeting with one of his dropped feathers, he looked up at Sesshoumaru once again. "What happened to your arm?"

The inuyoukai sighed inwardly, but decided the boy should have the truth and not the version perpetuated by Jaken. "Inuyasha severed it in the midst of a fight over the Tetsusaiga."

It was the truth as Sesshoumaru saw it, short and simple. Not some glorifying tale that made Inuyasha a cheat and the taiyoukai a victim. He was _anything_ but a victim. He would freely admit that he had miscalculated Inuyasha's movements, but that was all. It had cost him an arm, but he had gained a wealth of experience. The _girl_ had been the hanyou's strength, with and without the Tetsusaiga. He would never underestimate her again. Until she went insane of course.

"You mean, that sword Kagome has?"

"Yes," he answered, keeping his growl inside his throat. After all, the child would not be a good companion for Rin if he was terrified of the demon that Rin idolized.

On the other hand, Washi seemed too stubborn to allow a growl or two scare him away. Yes, the taiyoukai certainly got stuck with the hardheaded types. He vaguely wondered why that was.

"Why do you want it?"

Sesshoumaru considered his question for a moment. Why did he want Tetsusaiga? Obviously, it radiated with the power of the taiyoukai that had been the previous Lord of the Western Lands. Or he could go with the more emotional explanation and say that he wanted his father's sword as a reminder of him, although it wasn't really true. He had other heirlooms for that, if he had been the nostalgic type.

Either way, ever since he had acquired Tokijin, his father's legacy had dimmed in importance. So perhaps it was more appropriate to ask why he wanted it in the past.

"I do not want Tetsusaiga for my own purposes anymore," he said finally. "But I will not allow it to fall into _unsuitable_ hands."

"Is Kagome unsuitable?"

"Yes. But not as unsuitable as others in this world."

They were quiet for a moment as Washi moved closer and sat beside the inuyoukai. "No offense, Lord Sesshoumaru, but I hope you're wrong. I think she's a good person. She doesn't deserve to suffer like this."

"She does not _like_ you," he pointed out.

The child shrugged. "I don't think it's me she dislikes. It's the idea that anyone can replace that kitsune she was talking about. I guess I kind of present her with some difficulties. She doesn't want to lose the kit's memory."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a fraction. The boy was quite astute for one so young. The inuyoukai had chosen well. Washi would be a positive influence on Rin, certainly better than Jaken. "How did you come up with this theory?"

His face twisted in thought. "I think it's because I feel the same way about my own parents." He looked up at the taiyoukai. "Promise not to laugh?"

"This Sesshoumaru never laughs."

"Hmm, okay," the boy muttered. "Well… I just got this _feeling_ when I saw Kagome. Like I had a mother again and she was it. I thought she would take care of me and love me like my real mother did before she died. I felt like Kagome would _stay_ with me, and she wouldn't leave me alone. I feel like I've known Kagome all my life."

"I fail to see how this relates to your theory about half-breed's emotions."

Washi smiled sadly. "As much as I want someone to love me like a mother again, I feel bad for dishonoring my real mom. Like by feeling this way about Kagome, I'm _forgetting_ Mama."

Sesshoumaru glanced at the boy beside him. Truly, he had matured during his incarceration. Or perhaps he was always this intelligent from the time he was born. It wasn't uncommon among nobility's demon children. He himself had much of the same qualities as Washi, minus the ridiculous emotions and attachment to the female hanyou. "You never forget your real mother," he said finally.

"I guess so." He began to smooth out his wings with his talons, preening the feathers and putting them back in place. "Do you think we can help her?" he asked after a short silence.

"No. Nor do I have the wish to do so."

The ice in his tone almost made Washi shiver. "But you're going to help her on this mission, right, Lord Sesshoumaru?"

"I am not sure what her mission entails," the taiyoukai commented, "but I am bound to be her travelling companion, so I must accompany her." He recalled the girl's admitted lack of skill with the Tetsusaiga. "I must protect my father's sword from my captor, so this arrangement serves both our purposes."

Washi wanted to ask him more about his family, but his stomach chose that moment to make its presence known. He blushed as it growled. "Um, is there anything to eat?"

Sesshoumaru stood up and sniffed the air, suddenly aware of how long it had been since he'd had a proper hunt and a proper meal. "There is a demon a short distance away. Come. We will hunt it."

"I've never hunted before," admitted the boy, the blush spreading and darkening considerably.

The taiyoukai stared at him for a moment in disbelief. By the time he had been Washi's age, Sesshoumaru could perform many battle exercises flawlessly, and he certainly knew how to hunt. "I will teach you," he said finally. "A demon is nothing without the skill to care for himself." He nodded once to the child and they began to walk towards their unsuspecting prey.

Kagome crouched on the tree branch and studied the banks of the hot spring. The steam drifted lazily over the surface of the water and the small stones dotting the edges of the pool. Soft moss covered the boulders and a few surrounding trees. It seemed deceptively peaceful to the suspicious hanyou, but once she was confident that no demon or human lurked nearby, she leapt down and began to undress.

Placing Tetsusaiga on top of her dirty clothes and in easy reach, she smiled wistfully. "Always protecting me, huh? Even when I'm bathing," she murmured as she slipped into the warm water, taking her white shirt with her.

A breeze picked up throughout the clearing, giving Kagome goose bumps on her bare arms and making her duck further into the hot water.

She scrubbed the grimy cloth with her soap and rinsed it out, repeating the action with her red pants and undergarments. She concentrated on her movements, trying not to allow her mind to wander to Inuyasha and all the times she 'sat' him for seeing her naked, aware of the extreme irony of the past. After all, before he died, Inuyasha was her future mate and therefore very welcome to join her in the hot springs.

A blush crept across her face that wasn't caused by the heat of the water. Kagome remembered how he had reacted when she shyly invited him to the springs. At first, she was offended at his rejection, but then he explained that if he came with her, they would be officially mates much sooner than planned. He wanted to wait until Naraku was dead.

"Waiting. Whatever," she huffed, blowing some hair out of her eyes. "Would it really have been so bad?"

"I don't know. Would it have been?"

Kagome dove for Tetsusaiga, hissing in surprise when she saw that it wasn't there.

"Looking for this?"

She whipped around to see the wind sorceress, Kagura, standing next to the sheathed sword and relaxed only slightly. "You could have warned me you know," the miko accused, sinking back into the warm water. "And stop using your little parlor tricks to move stuff, especially Tetsusaiga."

Kagura smirked. "Just making sure you weren't going to start swinging the damn thing around before you knew it was actually me."

The hanyou shrugged. "Do you know how many times I've been attacked and spied upon while bathing? I think I'm allowed to be a little edgy."

The red-eyed demoness circled around Tetsusaiga carefully. She was able to move it with her wind powers, but to touch it would give her a nasty shock. The sword had only two masters, one of them being dead and the other being the young woman in front of her. "Anyway, I was in the area and smelled you. I thought I'd drop in."

Kagome tilted her head. "If Sesshoumaru catches you here, he'd rip you to shreds. He hasn't forgotten that your old master kidnapped Rin."

"His anger towards me is nothing compared to Koga's." She tucked her fan back into her sash and smiled, showing off pointed fangs. "Too bad he has such a good memory though. He's such an excellent candidate."

Brown eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I might not want to hear this, but a candidate for what?"

Kagura seated herself on a large boulder, carefully arranging her kimono before answering. "For being the father of my child, of course, Kagome."

"A child!" breathed the hanyou. "You want to have a child with Sesshoumaru? Um… Just to remind you, he's not the nicest guy ever."

Shaking her head, the wind sorceress let out a soft chuckle. "If you really want to be a true demon, you have to learn that love is pointless. Just pick the strongest male you can get and take what you need. And I need an heir. Naraku did leave me that palace after all, and I've been expanding my territory a bit over the past few months."

It was a half-truth. Naraku died and no one else had claimed the mansion, probably since he had slaughtered the entire family of the previous owner. Kagura simply stayed in her former prison and cleaned out the stench of the spider hanyou.

"I don't _want_ to be a 'true demon', Kagura. I've seen what that does to a hanyou like me. Really, I took a risk wishing to become a _half_-demon. I just want to help people." She leaned her head back and wet her hair. "Besides, I happen to think love is very important."

"Well, excuse me if I disagree," she answered with another toothy smile, which quickly fell to an expression of cruel curiosity. "Do you want him?"

Kagome's eyes widened. "No! Of course not!" She blushed. "I mean… Sesshoumaru is a good looking guy and all, if you're into that vicious killer thing…"

"Which I am," commented the wind sorceress.

"_Right_. Well, I'm not."

The demoness leaned forward. "Never mind the personality. Like you can ignore _that_ body."

"Kagura! I swear, you've gotten downright perverted since freeing yourself of Naraku."

Kagura just continued to smile at the girl. A comfortable silence fell over them as Kagome washed her tresses and mentally lamented the permanent loss of modern era hair products. Eventually, she emerged from the water and put on her demon exterminator outfit.

"I really hate those clothes."

"Said the woman who looks vaguely like a candy cane in that kimono," quipped the miko.

"What?" The sorceress's eyes narrowed, not sure what a 'candy cane' was, but certain that it wasn't a compliment. "I was just saying that it's not the most easy thing to be around. I had my fair share of run-ins with that demon slayer friend of yours. She was powerful."

Kagome glanced down and pushed Sango out of her mind before tears would form. "Yeah, I guess so, but it's not like I'm going to exterminate _you_ any time soon."

"Good. I don't feel like a fight at the moment."

The hanyou sat down on a smaller boulder and pulled on her boots and outer armor. "So, what're you doing here, Kagura? Really?"

The demoness smirked a bit. "I can't just drop in to see you?"

"During the five minutes I'm away from a guy who wants to tear out your throat? What a lucky coincidence," she retorted, sarcasm lacing her voice.

"I'm crushed to think that you don't trust me," the wind sorceress answered with mock pain and a hand up to her chest. They both knew that she had been watching the miko from afar for an opportunity to talk alone.

"I've never trusted you, Kagura." All joy, hollow or not, disappeared from the hanyou's tone.

The wind sorceress raised a delicate eyebrow. "I owe you my freedom and my life. Why should I do anything against the woman who saved me? I am indebted to you."

"No, Inuyasha saved you. You're indebted to _him_."

"I _was_. You were to be his mate and helped him in the battle that destroyed Naraku. The debt transfers to you." Kagura looked at Kagome out of the corner of her eye. "Don't mistake yourself. You are not my master like Naraku was. No one is my master now."

"I know that. But you know, you've visited me about five times since the final battle, and I'm _still_ not sure how you intend to repay this debt."

Kagura frowned in thought. "I suppose that instead of giving me _orders_, you ask me for _favors_, and I choose to carry them out or not. It will continue until I feel that I have settled my debt, or until you die."

"Hmm. I hope that we settle the debt before I croak."

Yet another silence enveloped them, as Kagura considered the miko's statement. Ever since Kanna had left the mortal world, the wind sorceress had been alone in her suffering under Naraku's harsh rule. Her quest for independence became even more intense in those months, but the evil hanyou's grasp simply tightened around her heart, literally.

The physical pain of those months after Kanna's death was something that even the insensitive wind sorceress could not bear to remember without flinching. When Naraku died by Inuyasha's hand, she freed herself from a cruel master in time to realize that she now owed a debt to her former enemy and his friends, including his future mate.

At first, the idea had been repulsive and the demoness shirked her duty, despite Kagura's intentions to clear her name of Naraku's filthy reputation.

But then, Kagome inherited Kagura's responsibility. And to her surprise, the hanyou didn't judge her on past meetings. She understood that Kagura's will had not been her own and she freely gave the wind sorceress an undeserved second chance.

In truth, Kagome had become the closest thing Kagura ever had to a friend.

"Is it my imagination, or does your hair have more red in it than last time I saw you?"

Giving her a look, Kagome rolled her eyes. "You know I haven't done anything to my hair. And don't change the subject, Kagura."

"Fine. So, do you have any favors to ask of me?"

The miko blinked. She had expected more debate over what Kagura would and would not do in order to repay the debt. "Actually, yes."

"It only took you six months," snickered the black-haired demoness.

"Well, I didn't really want to drag you into this. You might have to bow down to the wishes of more tyrannical loonies." She dragged a hand through her slightly damp ebony and crimson hair.

"Hmm, you're in luck. Dealing with loonies is my specialty," Kagura answered. "Mainly because I worked for one."

"Just worked for one? Don't you mean that you _were_ one?" Kagome raised an eyebrow.

The wind sorceress narrowed her eyes. "Just tell me what you want."

The miko stood up and tucked Tetsusaiga into place. "Have you heard anything about the guy who captured Sesshoumaru?"

"Someone captured Sesshoumaru? So that's where he's been all this time."

"I guess that's a no," the miko said with a roll of her eyes.

Kagura waved her hand to dismiss the trivial matter. "Tell me more of what you've heard."

Sighing, the hanyou muttered, "Not much, which is why I'm kind of hesitant to tell anything to Sesshoumaru. He likes facts, not assumptions. And all I know is that some lord, probably of the demon kind, is encouraging rebellions in all four of the Lands."

She decided not to mention the other tidbit she had picked up in the last six months. Considering how many demons she had to smack around to get the information, it was probably safe to say that not many people knew about it. And she wanted to keep it that way. After all, it was something Kagome would take care of herself.

"I heard about the insurgence in the South," mentioned Kagura.

"Yeah, that's where Sesshoumaru got caught. And anything that can capture him is something to worry about."

"I agree. You know, I have been hearing more rumors that might interest you, Kagome."

The hanyou leaned forward a bit with her ears twitching in anticipation. "Good! What is it?"

"It might not have anything to do with this mysterious lord you're after, but I believe it is too convenient to just be a coincidence." Kagura bent over and trailed a hand through the steaming water. "Demons and humans alike are saying that the tengu are out in full force."

"The tengu?" echoed Kagome. Her eyebrows knit together. "Come on, Kagura. I've practically lived here for four years and I've seen some pretty weird things, but I've never seen a tengu. I think they're one of the few demons that only exist in legend. That, or demon exterminators killed them off long ago."

Kagura shook her head, almost causing her hair ornaments to fall out. "Tengu were killed off by other demons. They kidnapped children and, in response, humans created mobs and murdered any demon they came across, tengu or not."

"So youkai killed them to protect themselves."

"Yes. I thought they were extinct, but apparently, there's a rash of kidnappings across the country. Almost all of them have been the children of landholders."

"Interesting," said Kagome thoughtfully. "Kagura, I would like for you to find out more if you could."

"Spying is another of my specialties," she answered with a serious expression.

Kagome nodded, aware of how many times the demoness had spied upon her and her friends. "We think the guy has a certain symbol. An eight-sided star with one of the points piercing a circle. Look for that if you can." She mentally searched for the pendant, but remembered that she had tucked it into her bag back at the camp.

Kagura bowed her head, silently agreeing to her request.

"Good. If anyone starts to get suspicious about you asking questions, tell them that you want to join the mysterious lord. Don't put yourself in danger though."

The youkai shrugged. "I don't really care about danger. If I must play the part of a double agent, I will. Even if it means bowing down to a few more 'tyrannical loonies', as you say."

For the first time in days, Kagome allowed her gaze to soften. "You're a good friend, Kagura. Thanks."

The wind sorceress quickly wiped away the expression of surprise that briefly crossed her face. "You're welcome," she murmured, not used to saying it. She pulled a white feather from her locks and threw it down. It immediately grew to the size of a small boat and Kagura kneeled upon it. "I shall visit you again soon," she said calmly as the feather lifted and began to fly away. "Goodbye, Kagome."

The hanyou waved her farewell and began to gather her belongings. Slowly, she wandered back to camp, feeling the warmth of the early morning sun dry her hair and the fur on her ears.

After fifteen minutes of meandering, the scent of blood reached her nose. She quickened her pace and burst into the clearing, only to find Sesshoumaru and Washi licking blood off their claws.

"Oh Kami," she said, sighing and wrinkling her nose. "What did you kill?"

"Demon," mumbled the brown-haired youkai.

"Clearly," Kagome answered with a disgusted tone. Then she smirked at the taiyoukai. "Tell me, did you make sure it was a _lesser_ youkai before slaughtering it?" She shaded her eyes from the rising sun's light to see his expression.

Washi's eyes grew wide, but Sesshoumaru was unfazed. "Yes," he said simply, immediately allaying the child's fears.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed your breakfast," she muttered as she put her miko garb and bathing supplies back in her yellow bag. Pulling out an apple, Kagome rubbed it on her clothes and bit into it.

The boy nodded vigorously. "Lord Sesshoumaru said I did well!"

Kagome blinked. "He complimented you?"

"The child did well," Sesshoumaru intoned, confirming Washi's words. "I had no need to hide the truth."

Washi beamed.

The miko rolled her eyes and sat down next to the dead fire. "So, when do we leave?"

"In a few moments. How far are we from the old miko's village?" He continued to clean his claws with his tongue, similar to a grooming feline.

Kagome shrugged. "About three days' walk. But we should go much faster when you use that little flying puffy thing, right?"

"Flying… puffy… thing…" he repeated slowly, seemingly annoyed that he was forced to say a word like 'puffy'. "Are you referring to my transportation cloud?"

"I like 'flying puffy thing' better, but yes."

"That would not be wise."

"Why not?"

He stood up and watched the sky for a moment. "Earlier this Sesshoumaru smelled the scent of Naraku. You say he is dead, and that may be true, but his minions still lurk about." Golden eyes locked onto her brown ones. "Would you know anything about that, wench?"

Kagome gave him a playful smirk. "I don't trust anyone who ever wanted me dead. Obviously, that includes any surviving underlings of Naraku."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, but decided she was telling the truth. "I believe we should walk to the graves and then on to my home. We will not attract as much attention that way. It is hard to lose spies when you are in the sky for all to see."

After silently thanking Kami that Kagura had been downwind of her during their conversation, Kagome finished her apple and licked the juice off her fingers. There were definitely some advantages to living in the Feudal Era and pesticide-free fruit was one of them. She just wished that they had under-wire bras. Wrapping cloth around one's mid-section just wasn't the same.

"So then we'll be doing the pedestrian thing, huh?" She stood up and dusted her hands off on her pants, leaving smudges of tan dirt.

Sesshoumaru nodded as he watched her drape her cloak over her body, hiding the curves previously shown off by the snug taijiya outfit. Tetsusaiga's hilt glittered at him before disappearing from view.

She fastened the garment at her throat. "Ready to go?"

"Yes," he clipped, slightly irritated at the girl's leisurely attitude. No wonder it took her five months to find him in that disgusting dungeon.

He reminded himself that she at least was no longer in that foul mood she had been in when she _landed_ on him earlier that morning.

Kagome shouldered her bag and spread out the fire's ashes, hiding the evidence that they had ever been there.

"By the way," she said, straightening up from her dusty task, "we have to stop in a human village today. If I remember correctly, we can reach one by midday."

Sesshoumaru stiffened and Washi cowered when he noticed the furious glare in the taiyoukai's eyes. "This Sesshoumaru will _not_ go to a village of human filth."

She shrugged. "That's fine. You can stay at the edge of town while I go and acquire some more food. That apple was all I had besides the ramen, and I'm sure you wouldn't want me to be _unhappy_, would you?" she asked, with a sly grin, knowing the inuyoukai must be getting quickly frustrated.

"Very well," he conceded after a few moments' deliberation. "You may have a very short time to buy your supplies." He shot her a scathing look. "But you may not steal."

Kagome's mouth dropped open. "But I don't have much money! I have to steal!"

"I will not risk you drawing unnecessary attention to yourself by getting caught. You will _buy_ the food."

"I won't get caught," she replied with annoyance etching her face. "I've become an artist at it. No one will even see me."

"There is no artistry in skulking about in the shadows, stealing from weak humans," he hissed, allowing true anger to filter into his voice. He could accept that she no longer cared for protecting life, since it fit quite well with his own philosophy. But he could not trust a thief. His tone must have indicated as such, because her harsh expression faded and her eyes dropped to the ground.

"Fine," she muttered. "We'll do it your way."

He resisted the urge to smirk at his victory, aware that it would cause a continuation in their argument and further delay. "Then we shall go."

Two minutes later, the clearing was empty.

A/N: It took me forever to get this chapter the way I wanted it, so I hope you enjoyed it! It might be about a week before the next chapter is out since I have a major research paper due this week and I haven't even started. PLEASE review and make my day better! Anyway, on to the review responses!

Review responses removed due to ban


	5. The Demon in the Human Village

A/N: Yay! I got lots of reviews! Thank you!… I'm very sorry this chapter took so long. I had a research paper and a few tests (which I think I did well on!) AND I had a play that I was crewing for. The end of the semester is so busy!

In other matters… I've been informed that my summary isn't exactly… good. Considering I've had this problem before, I've come the conclusion that I really suck at writing them. If anyone wants to rewrite it for me, I'd be eternally grateful.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 5: The Demon in the Human Village

The hum of the wood's insects and birds surrounded the three demons, like a gentle but insistent warning. The air was heavy with an approaching storm. Clouds blanketed the sky, making it seem as if it were evening instead of midday. It wasn't promising, but they ignored the signs of trouble.

Kagome fidgeted with the strap of her backpack, careful not to slice it with her claws. She'd done that several times in the first few weeks with the new sharp nails. She had been so clumsy that she once managed to slice out a good chunk of her hair while braiding it. It was only growing back now, six months after the fact.

Looking up, she saw her two companions, the rigid back of the taiyoukai and the demon child that flew lazily beside him. Washi had tried several times to engage the adults in conversation, but all attempts had fallen flat. Now, no matter how many times she had rebuffed the child's efforts, Kagome was starting to get bored by the silence.

"You get bored too easily," commented her love, although at the time, he was still chasing Kikyo. 

_"I'm sorry, Inuyasha. I guess I'm just used to the whole shard hunting thing."_

_"Feh. It's not my fault you haven't sensed any jewel shards in the past few days." He crossed his arms and looked away, although his nose still twitched at the smell of cooking ramen._

_She stood up and stretched her arms above her head. "I guess so, but I'm still bored. What do you do when you're bored?"_

_"I ignore you, wench," he snapped. He was clearly in a foul mood that day._

_"Love you too, Inuyasha," she huffed without thinking, but immediately freezing when she heard the words come from her mouth._

_They looked at each other for a moment in shock. After a moment, Kagome's mind began to function again and she grinned._

_"You look like you've seen a ghost," she said with a cheerful lilt to her voice._

_"What… did you just say?" he croaked. She could see the white rings around his amber irises._

_"That you've seen a ghost?" Kagome responded, knowing perfectly well that it was the wrong answer._

_"Before that." He forgot to add an insulting name at the end to show his annoyance and she knew that his amazement had gone quite deep._

_She smiled at him again, although she felt her heart plunge into ice water as she peered into his surprised eyes. Only surprise. He didn't return the feelings, obviously. Now wasn't the time anyway. Naraku was still out there and gaining power. "Don't be silly, Inuyasha. I love you as I love all my friends, even Miroku." She handed him the cup of ramen and some chopsticks._

_"Okay," he muttered, although he looked unconvinced._

Kagome sighed and pushed the hair out of her face. That day had definitely ranked up there on the 'insert foot into mouth' moments. After that, even if she _was_ bored to tears, she wouldn't mention it directly to Inuyasha.

She watched her feet crushing the grass on the ground and concentrated on avoiding the wildflowers that dotted the forest floor.

Ahead of her, Sesshoumaru frowned as the scent of humans thickened in the air. They were close to a human village, and a rather large one at that. Certainly, they would have a market where the wench could buy her supplies.

He stopped and the others paused with him. "You will go to the village nearby and return in a prompt manner."

Kagome lifted her nose, sniffed and recoiled slightly. "No way! Not here. I meant another village. Come on, we'll pass one eventually."

Sesshoumaru turned to face the hanyou, blocking her path and preventing her from moving any further. "Here," he said simply.

Washi's large green eyes flickered back and forth between the two adults. "What's wrong with the village? Why don't you want to go there, Kagome?"

"_Because_ this village kills demons. If you had a sense of smell, you could tell that youkai blood has been spilt here hundreds of times. The only explanation is that it's an exterminator village. I'll be risking my life going in there."

"You wear the garb of an exterminator yourself," countered Sesshoumaru, although his smirk displayed his pleasure at the thought of the wench dying. "You will be safe. We are not stopping again." His eyes glinted with unadulterated malice as he seated himself beneath a tree.

Kagome held her breath, wondering that if she passed out, would he still make her go? Myoga had expressly warned her of a bloodthirsty village that killed anything with a touch of demon blood in their veins. Supposedly, children began to wear daggers at the age of three and could take down a weaker youkai by the age of seven. Not exactly the place she wanted to go for a visit, no matter how short. This was clearly that same village.

But he was determined, she could see that. She let her backpack fall to the ground with a dull thud, feeling the vibrations wave across the bottom of her feet. "Fine," she muttered, flipping open the yellow bag. Fishing around for a few moments, she finally extracted a sizeable red square of coarse cloth.

"What's that for, Kagome?"

"You ask too many questions, kid." She sighed and folded the square into a triangle and laid it on the grass. Once again diving into her bag, she grabbed several hair ties and clips. The hanyou twisted her hair up and pinned it to her scalp. Then, she flattened her ears against her head and used the cloth to cover them and her telltale crimson streaked hair.

The male demons watched this process with interest. Full demon females had no need of primping; they possessed a natural beauty that would be, in fact, dampened by any vanity. So this was a new experience, even if it was for the purpose of disguising her demon attributes.

At least, that was the taiyoukai's excuse.

As she reached up to tie the cloth around her head, his eyes traveled down to her chest and tiny waist, both encased in her tight leather slayer uniform. He watched as her silky hair was slowly and carefully tucked beneath the covering with her delicate fingers. For a moment, he even allowed himself to think of her as graceful. At this, the inuyoukai flinched and erased all his disturbing ideas from his mind. He concluded that that it was entirely the fault of her tight clothing and his extended incarceration.

'This Sesshoumaru has been without female companionship for too long, something that will be remedied when I return home,' he decided silently.

"How do I look?" Kagome asked as she pulled the knot tight at the nape of her neck.

"Ridiculous," answered Sesshoumaru, without missing a beat. He was still appalled at his brief physical attraction to the filthy half-breed.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'm aware of that. I'd imagine I look like…" She paused and frowned. "Well, I can't think of a good analogy, but I know I look weird. I was wondering if I look human."

Washi walked slowly around the cross-legged hanyou as if he were appraising a valuable piece of art.

"Hurry it up, will ya?" she snapped impatiently as he stopped in front of her.

The child shrugged. "It's better. But what about your eyebrows? And your claws? And your fangs?"

"No one will notice the eyebrows. I haven't cut my nails recently. And… I guess I just won't smile," she answered in a clipped manner, annoyed that she had missed so many details that could potentially end her life.

He stared at her for a moment, forgetting his earlier resolve to let her insults wash over him. "You _never_ smile. Not really," Washi muttered under his breath, before he flew into the upper branches of Sesshoumaru's tree.

Under her makeshift head covering, her ears strained to twitch. She sighed and took out a small leather money pouch. Silence permeated the air around them, even the insects paused their strange hum. "Right. Well, I'm going now. We've wasted enough time."

Sesshoumaru let his eyes slide shut, the only sign that he had heard her.

The hanyou paused before leaving his stoic company. 'He almost looks nice when he's not staring at you with those cold fish eyes. I wonder if he ever has anything but hate and indifference in his expression.' She shrugged to herself and moved to leave the two youkai males. The oppressive atmosphere that always accompanies a storm was growing even heavier and she wanted to be back underneath the forest canopy before it began to rain.

The demon child hopped down a few branches until he was in sight again. Apparently, his unpleasant mood had disappeared in his brief time in the treetop. "Don't worry, Kagome. I can see the village from up there. If you get in trouble, me and Lord Sesshoumaru will come and help you!"

"We will _not_," growled the inuyoukai.

Kagome ignored the Western Lord and gave the eagle child a stern glance. "Just don't follow me. If you're worried about my eyebrows, I don't think we hide _these_ too easily." She tapped the top joint of his left wing and then walked past him. "Be good, boys," she called over her shoulder.

When she didn't hear any response, she paused and, without turning around, said, "I'm going to get you back for making me do this, Sesshoumaru." She tried to keep her tone playful and light, but they both knew she was in earnest. The hanyou was _not _happy with the situation and she would be getting vengeance. After all, she was half animal now.

As she walked down the gentle slope of land towards the village, she tried to push her instincts down, back beneath her human emotions. Her hand tightened around Tetsusaiga's hilt. The action had become habit over the past six months. She felt the demon blood surging through her veins every minute of every day, but had no desire to let it free. Kagome had seen too many times what happened when a half-demon gave into his wilder side.

Truthfully, she didn't know if she had that particular weakness. Was Inuyasha the only one that had to have a seal on his blood? After all, no other hanyou had a Tetsusaiga to keep them in line. Perhaps she would ask Sesshoumaru about it sometime. She expected she wouldn't like the answer though.

The scent of freshly hewn grass filled her senses. Someone had just finished clearing a patch of land for a new crop. Or for a new battlefield.

Kagome shuddered. According to Myoga, a rogue exterminator had founded this village on a principle not shared by many of his former compatriots. That is, that _all_ demons, good or bad, must die. That part wasn't so strange, but the rogue had also claimed that anyone helping or befriending a youkai has been contaminated and must die. Predictably, the other exterminators had thrown the rebel out of their town. Killing humans was _not_ an option.

She just hoped that they didn't bear a grudge against the demon slayers that had exiled their founder. On the other hand, vicious people like this rarely got along with a miko and that was her only other outfit.

Her fingers finally released Tetsusaiga as she came in sight of the town and the villagers. They were milling about, completely oblivious that a creature that they abhorred was willingly walking into their midst.

A few straightened up from their work and conversations to watch the young girl approach. Every single one had a wary expression, suspicious of the newcomer.

One elderly man came forward, avoiding the small clusters of people that were beginning to gather at the stranger's arrival. Despite his simple peasants' clothing, the man obviously held some power in the town, since the others parted for him without question. He stopped about ten feet away from Kagome and bowed stiffly. "May we help you?"

The hanyou plastered a tight-lipped smile upon her face, hollow like all the others. Bowing deeply, she purred, "Yes, please. I'm travelling west and would like to buy some food for the journey, if that is alright with you."

The old man swept an appraising eye over her form, but failed to notice the few signs of her less-than-human blood. After completing this evaluation of her threat, he smiled and bowed again, this time with more grace. "Naturally, we could not turn away a traveler such as yourself. Especially one so distinguished as a taijiya. My name is Hikaru and I am the village headsman."

"I'm pleased to meet you. I'm Kagome." She nearly gagged at the sugar coating her tone.

Hikaru nodded and beckoned to her. "Come this way. I know that the Hama family just had an excellent harvest and will have extra rations to sell. I'm sorry you did not arrive on a market day when you could have had more choice."

"I'm sure that whatever your village has to offer will be more than enough for a simple traveler like myself." She followed him as he led her down the main avenue of the village. Several homes of the more prominent families lined the street, as well as a few shops and a geisha house.

Kagome began to sweat slightly. If she was to be discovered, she did not want to be in the center of the town. Her heart dropped further into her stomach when Hikaru stopped in front of the home next to the local watering hole. 'Great,' she mused in irony. 'That's just what I need. A bunch of drunk men with access to sharp, pointy objects.'

The headsman called out to the family and a young woman of about twenty-five immediately came out. She held a small baby boy in her arms. "Good day, Hikaru-san. If you're looking for my husband, he's gone out to the fields."

"I was actually looking for you, Kita-san. This young lady would like to buy some of your surplus rice and other foods," he answered, motioning to Kagome.

Kita turned to look at the hanyou, her eyes widening as if she had just noticed the stranger in her village. "Oh, hello. A taijiya, huh?" Her tone suggested that perhaps not everyone had forgotten the tale of the rogue exterminator and his persecutors.

"Yes. I strive to rid the world of demons, and knew I would find friends here, for rumor of your village's slaying abilities have traveled far and wide." She simply didn't mention whether the rumors flattered them or not.

"I'm sure," the mother huffed. "Well, come on in. I'll fix you some packets of food. How much do you have?" She looked pointedly at Kagome's money pouch tied to her sash.

"Enough," the hanyou reassured. She already didn't like this woman. Even the child seemed be giving her evil glares.

Kita nodded and jerked her head, silently telling Kagome to follow her inside. Hikaru bowed and mumbled an excuse about having work to do, leaving the half-demon alone.

"So, why are you travelling west?" asked the young mother, as she placed the baby on a blanket in the front room and went to gather supplies.

"I've heard of a great demon lord that kills without reason. I wish to slay him."

The human woman turned with rice paper in one hand. "Sesshoumaru?" Unlike most that spoke of the taiyoukai, her voice was calm and even. Either she was very stupid or very brave.

Kagome frowned. "How did you know?"

"Everyone knows about the Lord of the Western Lands. You're a fool to take him on. No one can kill him. They say he is immortal."

"That's ridiculous," countered the hanyou, deciding that Kita fit the 'very stupid' description. "There isn't a demon that can't be killed. I know that Sesshoumaru is not immortal. He bleeds like the rest of us."

Kita's eyes flashed in anger towards the taijiya leaning on the wall. "Demon blood is filthy. They do _not_ bleed like the rest of us."

"Youkai say the same of humans."

Her expression hardened. "You should slay more demons and talk to them less, or you're doing something wrong."

"I'm alive, aren't I?"

The two females stared at each other for a moment, warning the other not to continue this subject. Their ideals about youkai were different, but they were still sisters in the demon exterminating occupation. Kagome still felt the urge to cut open Kita's throat however.

The human woman shrugged and turned away. She lay out the rice paper on a low, simple table and measured out rice from a burlap bag onto the slips of parchment. Before she finished the first one, she gave another sharp glance towards Kagome's money pouch, which the hanyou promptly threw onto the wood beside her. Kita poured out the coins and counted them deliberately, moving them one by one to her side of the table. After she finished, she filled more packets with rice and other staples of a life on the road.

Kagome found herself wishing for ramen. Anything except the food that Kita touched.

"It's unusual for a taijiya to travel alone," commented Kita, over the sounds of folding rice paper. Her tone demanded an explanation and Kagome realized with a jolt that the woman suspected her of deception.

"Didn't you hear? The entire demon exterminator village was slaughtered. No one survived except two, another girl and me. It happened about four years ago." She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"I did hear that, yes," the human responded with little feeling, although suspicion still flashed through her eyes. "But why do you not travel with the other survivor then?"

The hanyou really didn't want to talk about Sango, especially to this vindictive human. How could she tell her that Sango died? All she would receive would be another distrustful glance and another question. Kagome felt as if that would somehow dishonor Sango's memory, to not be mourned by one of her own people, no matter how twisted they were. Kita's village would have killed Sango if they knew she traveled with two demons and a hanyou for all those years.

They didn't deserve to even know that the greatest taijiya had fallen. Kita wasn't worthy to speak of her.

Kagome shifted her weight. The woman had never asked her to sit down, so she still leaned against the north wall. "She got married and had children," answered Kagome, thinking about what would have happened if Sango and Miroku had not died. "She has no time to travel and slay demons anymore. She has a home with her husband, a man she loves very much." Had Kita been a demon, she would smell Kagome's unshed tears.

"I see. Why aren't you married, then?"

Again, the hanyou felt the urge to slice Kita apart. Instead, she shrugged her answer. "I don't know and I don't care."

Kita's vicious mouth opened again, when two children, one girl and one boy, spilled into the room from the street. They both wore brown, coarse yukatas like their mother and appeared to be about seven or eight.

"Mama! Mama!" they cried, not taking note of the stranger in the corner. "We saw a demon!"

Kagome's heart skipped a beat as she straightened up and peered at the children. They were excited and didn't seem to be lying, but she doubted that Sesshoumaru would have allowed himself to get caught. 'It must have been that damn kid, Washi,' she observed in anger.

Their mother came up to them and patted them on their heads. "Yes, I know. Your father took you to the training field, didn't he?"

A tall man of about thirty stepped into the hut. "Yes, I did. Basho and Chie did well. They killed that small demon we caught a few days back near the river. Next time, the monster will be let out of the training pen and they'll be on a real hunt." He smiled at his wife and reached forward to touch her affectionately on her forearm.

Kagome shuddered at action, aware that the man was _proud_ his children could slaughter a caged creature. Her small sigh captured everyone's attention and the man's dull brown eyes flared to life in suspicion, much like his wife's.

'Doesn't anyone trust anyone else these days?' lamented the hanyou.

"Good day."

Kagome bowed and smiled. "Yes, good day to you, sir. Your wife has been so kind as to sell me some of your excess supplies for my journey."

"She says that she's going after Sesshoumaru," mentioned Kita, disbelief lacing her voice. She ushered her children over to the table to help with the last bit of food preparations.

The husband raised an eyebrow, but smiled slightly. "I see. Well, I wish the best luck to you, but I have heard that he is a difficult foe."

"He is just another demon," Kagome answered, lying through her teeth. She knew that she could never take on Sesshoumaru and live. Only Inuyasha and a handful of other demons would have a prayer against the inuyoukai, even with one arm severed.

"Right. That he is," agreed the man. "All those monsters should die." He spared a glance towards his three children surrounding his wife. Kita was whispering softly to the boy, Basho.

Kagome's eyes narrowed a fraction. The cloth covering her ears prevented much of her demonic hearing, but her instincts were kicking in. She should get out before Kita had the whole town circling around her in suspicion, like buzzards.

The hanyou stepped forward and cleared her throat. "Well, I should really be going. I've stayed much too long as it is and I must get on the road again." Cursing herself for babbling, she leaned over the table to collect her purchases. Kita had made about ten neatly wrapped packages and Kagome could smell the delicious scent of rice and vegetables through the thick paper. A small sack lay next to everything and the hanyou delicately placed each meal into it.

As the last one disappeared into the bag, the hairs on the back of Kagome's neck stood up. Basho was no longer seated at the table and she felt the distinct sensation of her silky hair sliding over the nape of her neck and cheeks.

"Demon!" screeched Chie, pointing at Kagome's head.

The hanyou straightened up and glared at Kita, who had a mixture of triumph and fear lining her features. "Bitch," she hissed at the human, as her son sidled up to her with the red cloth in one hand.

The sing of a sword leaving its sheath reached her now released ears and Kagome spun to face the husband holding a sharp katana. All that could be seen in his face was pure rage.

Kagome moved quickly. She tied the top of the food sack around her sash and then crouched down. Keeping her eyes on all five of the hut's occupants she slowly crept towards the door. The man moved with her. She couldn't get past without risking her health. "Just let me leave and I won't have to hurt any of you," she warned.

"You're a monster! Why should we let you live?" yelled Kita, who was now holding a meat cleaver.

"Demon! Demon!" screeched the little girl, louder now. It was sure to bring the neighbors in a matter of moments.

The baby began to cry.

Kagome cursed under her breath. The noise was making her ears and head hurt. "Fine. Don't be reasonable," she growled. She pushed off the ground in a strong leap and crashed through the family's roof, freeing herself from the din of the hut. Outside, the cloudy skies seemed to have broken open and a gentle but persistent rain dampened her hair almost immediately.

Landing in the middle of the street, the hanyou could still hear Chie's screams of terror over the pattering droplets. Several villagers advanced upon her, already armed with farming implements and more conventional weapons like swords and daggers.

"They certainly mobilize fast," Kagome muttered. She briefly thought about unsheathing Tetsusaiga, but quickly dismissed the idea. Since she still didn't know how to use it, she could easily hurt some of these humans. No matter how much she might want to, Kagome could _not_ harm humans. Besides the whole morality of it, she wasn't sure Tetsusaiga would still work for her if she no longer cared for human life.

A teenage boy with a scythe yelled a battle cry and rushed forward. Kagome easily sidestepped him and brought her arm out to hit him on the back, sending him flying into the circle of slayers that now surrounded her.

"Look! I didn't want trouble, okay? I just wanted some food," the hanyou yelled out to the crowd.

"Monster! Oni! Demon!" called out the crowd.

She spotted Hikaru in the perimeter. He was holding a glaive with a deadly point. "If I wanted to hurt your village, don't you think I would have done it already? Please! Just let me go!"

"What did you do, demon? Strip some poor dead exterminator of those clothes? Now you pretend to be a wandering slayer and devour the families that are kind enough to take you in?" he answered, his voice getting higher in the register as his anger seeped through.

"No!" protested Kagome. She had encountered humans' hatred before, but never to this scale. Most villagers simply skirted around her in the streets and hesitantly thanked her if she killed a troublesome demon. "I'm half-demon. I'm half-human!"

The declaration didn't produce the desired effect. Most of the slayers' eyes widened in disgust and a few even muttered further insults against humans that would mate with a demon. The word 'rape' echoed in her ears and Kagome found herself getting angry. Did they really think that a half-demon's youkai parent would rape a human? Inuyasha's parents loved each other and so did Jinenji's. How insulting to assume such lies.

Another young man moved forward, but before he could, his neighbor grabbed his arm and pointed to the sky.

"Demon! Demon!" the crowd chanted as their eyes moved to the horizon.

Kagome turned and saw a small form flying towards her. "Oh, no," she muttered, realizing who it was.

Two seconds later, an eagle demon child descended into the circle. He ignored the hundred or so villagers and turned to Kagome. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern etching his face.

For the first time in six months, the hanyou couldn't think of a scathing response to that frequently asked question. "Yeah… I'm fine for now," she whispered. "But I can't hurt these people and they're intent on hurting me. You shouldn't have come."

Washi frowned as he surveyed the crowd through the thickening rain. Several villagers were calling for their bows and arrows so they would be able to hit the newest menace to their home. "Don't do this!" he called. "She's a good person! She's helped so many people!"

"Including monsters!" screamed a man in the back. The others nodded their agreement.

The hanyou placed a clawed hand on Washi's shoulder, making him jump slightly in surprise. "Don't bother, kid. They're pig-headed and won't listen. They kill demons without question. I can't imagine how many kind, helpful youkai they have slaughtered over the years. Let's just concentrate on getting out."

The child nodded grimly, accepting that the crowd would not back down. "I don't think I can carry you out, Kagome."

"I know, kid. Don't worry about it. I can't even jump out of this. They'd just shoot us down anyway."

Kita emerged from the mob as the hanyou and demon watched helplessly. She still held the meat cleaver in one hand and her son's hand in the other. Her husband stood next to her, grasping his katana so tightly that his knuckles were white. He slowly advanced towards Kagome and Washi.

The hanyou pushed the demon child behind her and flexed her claws. "Please, I don't want to hurt you, but I will protect myself and the boy."

"You'll both die, you dirty youkai," the man snarled. He raised his sword and ran towards Kagome.

As he brought it down, the hanyou deflected his arm and kneed him in the stomach. Her claws left a deep scratch in his wrist where she had caught it. The blade fell to the ground as Kita's husband groaned in pain and rolled onto his back, curled into a fetal position.

"Danjuro!" yelled Kita.

Kagome glared at the human and leaned over the man now known as Danjuro. "I can do to the rest what I just did to you. And worse. Tell them to back off." She was lying of course. There was no way she could fight all these humans without killing a few and that remained unacceptable, despite the worsening situation.

The human male said nothing and crawled to the edge of the circle, dragging his sword across the dirty street. The other villagers leaned over him, checking to see if the man was all right. Some even congratulated him on attacking the 'monster'.

Washi tugged on the hanyou's sash. "Kagome, let's go."

"They'll kill us if we take to the air," argued the girl, keeping her eyes on the crowd that practically overflowed with anger. Many of them had bows slung over their shoulders. "Where is Sesshoumaru? He could scare them away."

"He said he didn't care about you," muttered Washi. "I tried to get him to come."

Kagome sighed, and immediately thought of a few choice words she would later deliver to Sesshoumaru. If she survived, of course. "I know you did. We'll just have to manage on our own."

Kita and Danjuro began another chant, encouraging the villagers to kill the hanyou and youkai.

The miko's hand danced over the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "I can't," she muttered to herself. She didn't want to provoke any further attacks, especially now that she was responsible for the safety of Washi.

As she decided this, the demon child yelped, causing Kagome to turn. A large stone lay beside the boy's feet and he held a hand over the right side of his forehead. Blood trickled down the side of his face. The coppery scent made the hanyou dizzy.

Looking up, Kagome saw a smug expression on the face of a young woman in the mob and undiluted fury welled up inside the miko's chest. "This is what you do? Throw rocks at innocent children? I should gut you!" Her indecision ceased and she unsheathed Tetsusaiga.

But it remained the battered, worn blade that Inuyasha had once cursed as useless.

"Damn," the hanyou murmured, realizing that the sword would not allow itself to be wielded against humans in anger. She replaced the katana in its scabbard and leaned over to pick up the rock that had hit Washi. Tossing it up and down a few times, Kagome bared her fangs. "Well, you want a demon? You'll get a demon." Leaning back, she hurled the stone at the woman who had attacked the child.

The human female shrieked as it found its mark on her left hip. She fell back into the supportive arms of the other villagers.

Kagome picked up another rock. Her crouched stature was more akin to that of an animal than a regal hanyou. "Trust me," she growled, "I have much better aim. That was just a warning. I will protect Shippo with my life."

The eagle child's breath hitched a moment in sadness. The mob and the rock had not bothered him, but he did _not_ want to be remembered as the kitsune. Although he understood her pain over Shippo's death, Washi wanted to be cared for as a separate individual. He shook his head, clearing these thoughts. Now was not the time. He had to stop Kagome from hurting the villagers.

"You _humans_," seethed the hanyou. "I am ashamed to share even _half_ of my blood with you! _You_ are the real monsters!" She flexed her claws and prepared to advance upon the closest villager.

"Enough," spoke up a voice, sharp with displeasure. It stopped Kagome in her tracks. Her fury dissipated as the sobering tones of the Western Lord reached her ears. Only one homicidal youkai was needed for this little confrontation.

"Demon!" shrieked Chie, pointing up to the lithe, burgundy-clad taiyoukai on the roof of one of the huts. The now heavy rain seemed to not touch the demon lord. Every droplet bounced off his body without leaving a watermark on the silk or in his hair.

His golden eyes flashed to the little girl. "Be _quiet_, you insufferable human," he intoned.

Like Rin, Chie followed Sesshoumaru's orders, although Kagome knew it was out of fear and not love.

The inuyoukai gracefully leapt and landed next to the hanyou and the eagle child. Barely suppressed disgust etched his face as he glanced at the crowd, before turning to his female companion. As he did, the disgust became blatantly apparent. "I see you have gotten yourself into trouble," he said icily. "Understand that I am here to prevent further injury to Rin's present."

Kagome noticed Washi roll his eyes, and she smirked. "Fine. You're here. Before we break out the champagne, what do you intend to do with these fools?"

"Nothing. We are leaving," answered Sesshoumaru. Normally, he would raze the human settlement, but protecting Rin's new companion meant preventing injury to his mind as well as his body. So today, the taiyoukai turned to walk out of the village without even calling forth his poison claws.

That is, until a wall of villagers refused to part for him.

Kagome frowned. "You idiots! Get out of the way! He'll kill you without a thought!"

"We'll gladly sacrifice our lives to rid the world of you monsters!" yelled back one of the men.

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. This whole situation irritated him greatly. First, the miko had caused trouble. Then, the child had announced that he saw the girl circled by a mob and flew to help her before the inuyoukai could speak two words. Now, the boy was wounded and these insignificant humans blocked his path. Not to mention that the wench had displayed her flagrant disregard for manners once again.

"If that is your wish," the taiyoukai responded, deciding the eagle demon could bear a little bloodshed. Not that he ever went halfway on his village slaughters.

He reached out with superhuman speed and knocked away the sickle in one of the townsmen's hands. In the next second, sharp poison points were digging themselves into the sensitive skin of the man's neck. The human clawed at the inuyoukai's hand in vain, trying to get air into his lungs.

"Sesshoumaru! No!" Kagome shot forward, splashing through the puddles, and wrapped her own small hands around the demon lord's muscular arm. The villagers exchanged uneasy glances when they heard the name of the attacking youkai. Like Kita, they had all heard rumor of the ruthless Sesshoumaru. "I know they probably _deserve_ to die, but…"

"You let your human emotions interfere with instinct too much, wench," he responded with a voice of deadly calm, although he allowed his hand to loosen enough for the man to draw a breath.

"Just let them go. They're human."

"All the more reason to _exterminate_ them." His grip tightened around the human's throat once again.

Kagome frowned and moved around Sesshoumaru until they were face to face, their chests nearly touching. They could only smell each other's scent now and only heard each other's breathing. A malevolent smile spread across the miko's face. "You know I would never beg, you arrogant youkai, but you also know that I will easily threaten. If you think last night's nightmare was bad, imagine what they will turn to if I have human blood on my hands."

Inwardly sighing, Sesshoumaru dropped the man and walked past the hanyou and through the crowd, which now parted readily for him and his two companions. They had realized they only had seen a mere fraction of the demon lord's power.

Only Kita and Danjuro tried to revive the crowd's killing lust. "What are you doing? Kill them! Shoot them! Monsters!"

Before she completely exited the circle, Kagome picked up a small pebble and turned in one smooth motion. "Just try to duck," she muttered, as she launched the stone at Kita's forehead, squarely hitting her target.

Kita yipped in pain and held a hand over what was sure to be a nasty red mark before long.

Kagome smiled triumphantly and walked out of the villagers' circle, trailing behind the eagle child and demon lord.

She caught up with them at the edge of town and fell into step beside Washi. For a few moments, she was silent, glancing at him once in awhile out of the corner of her eye. Finally, the hanyou breathed a deep sigh. "Um, look… thanks for sticking up for me back there. It might not have done much good… but I appreciate it."

Washi hid his wide grin. If he made too much of a fuss over the miko's apology, she'd never do it again. "No problem," he muttered, just loud enough for her to hear his sincerity.

Sesshoumaru glanced back over his shoulder. "You will regret the decision to let those villagers live."

The hanyou frowned. "Just because I didn't murder a hundred people? You're really depraved, you know that?"

"Evil may live in me, but I have control over it. That village has no control over their evil and they will ultimately die for that. But first, they will come after the only demons they have ever allowed to go free."

"Us…" muttered Kagome dejectedly, as her ears finally sagged under the weight of the rainwater.

She couldn't explain it, but she knew that Sesshoumaru was right. For once in her life, she should have extinguished human life.

A/N: Again, I'm SO sorry about this taking so long! Anyway, on to the review responses… Please review this chapter!

Review responses removed due to ban


	6. Inuyasha's Grave

A/N: This is a very important chapter in the development of the story… _However_, it might be a bit difficult to follow since Kagome is well… insane. Just ask if you need clarification on anything and my next series of review responses will answer any questions that I can reveal.

By the way, forgive the stupid italicizing errors in the flashback… I really don't know how to fix it.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 6: Inuyasha's Grave

"Okay… Let's see… I spy with my little eye… Something that's… red!"

"My ears?"

"No fair."

"Hey, you're the one that made it too easy. My turn. I spy with my little eye…"

"Quiet, both of you," snapped the taiyoukai in front of them. This had continued since morning and his infinite patience was running thin. He couldn't believe that he suffered through five long months of imprisonment only to take up company with these two. He almost missed the boar youkai.

"Something that's tall and grumpy."

"Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"See? You get easy ones too!" Kagome grinned at the eagle child.

Washi laughed as he trotted next to her, trying not to stumble over the roots arching across the pathway.

He was truly amazed. Yesterday, after leaving the village, the young woman had allowed him to walk by her side. She even silently offered him some of her dinner. Today, she was chatting and joking with him. The child knew he should question the reason behind her sudden change in attitude, but he feared that it would break the spell.

Granted, it was probably because she was insane. No one else could flow from the extremes of sarcastic, to silent, to cheerful all within a day. No one except his new mother.

He reached up and grasped the hanyou's hand, noticing her callused skin. She looked down in surprise, but didn't pull away. "Is there something you needed, kid?" she asked, not placing her usual heat into the unoriginal nickname.

"Do you think those people are going to come after us? From the village?"

"Why? Does your wound still hurt?" she asked, instead of answering his question.

"Nah." He rubbed at his temple, where a few of Kagome's modern era bandages clung to his skin. The strange object had first earned several suspicious glances from both him and the taiyoukai, but eventually he acquiesced. Now he wore it almost as a badge of honor from the fight. "But do you think they'll follow us?" he repeated.

Kagome shook her head. "No."

She really didn't want to think about those horrible people they had left behind the previous day. After all, she had spent the last twelve hours doing just that.

First, she thought about Inuyasha, by far the most painful part of the process. She had met other hanyous beside him, and she thought she realized their anguish at being torn between two worlds. But now, after six months of suffering in their proverbial shoes, Kagome knew that her empathy for Inuyasha, Jinenji and the others didn't even touch on their true feelings of being an outcast.

Yesterday had been the culmination of that knowledge. It all made sense now. Every time Inuyasha shied away from her touch, the emotional scars and the scathing tone he acquired when anyone asked about his feelings. That was just years and years of being thrown out of general society.

Would she eventually transform into that? Perhaps she already had. Kagome wasn't stupid. She knew that she had changed drastically since her _physical_ change into a hanyou. But she didn't want to become a cold-hearted fish, like the taiyoukai that walked before her.

That was what led to her second point of pondering for the night. It was an issue that, although less painful, had kept her awake all night.

As the moon had climbed in the inky sky, Kagome had watched the small demon sleep. He had _helped_ her, despite the danger and despite her appalling behavior towards him. Moreover, she had accepted the child's help.

The remainder of the night was spent considering her options. She had thanked the child in her own way; she allowed him to walk beside her and she gave him some of her hard-earned food. But somehow, that wasn't enough. That surprised her. During the last six months, she gave as she got. No one owed her favors and she didn't owe any either. It was the way she liked it.

But she felt a strong, strange desire to open her heart to Washi. It went completely against her baser instincts. In the end, she settled on a compromise. The child was just that: a child. He was not hers to care for, nor would he ever be. But she was willing to treat him as a young friend. Kagome just hoped her heart would stick to the promise.

During Kagome's silence, Washi was considering the shortness of the hanyou's answer. Clearly, that wasn't meant to be the topic of choice. He tried again. "Why are you a dog hanyou?" His face was completely serious.

She laughed a bit at his candid and random question. "Why shouldn't I be a inu hanyou?"

Sesshoumaru pricked up his ears to hear the conversation taking place behind him. It was a question he had often wondered about as well. The girl still presented him with a mystery and he was determined to solve it.

Washi shrugged. "You seem more like you would be a cat." He easily could imagine the girl with the almond-shaped cat eyes and rust-colored hair. Her red streaks seemed like she had bathed in blood.

Brief anguish flashed through Kagome's eyes, but neither male noticed. "Yeah, I've been told that before. To tell you the truth, I don't know why the Jewel chose to make me an inu hanyou. Perhaps I was thinking of Inuyasha during my wish." She gently touched her crimson ears, which seemed to twitch of their own accord.

"That would explain your more irritating qualities," spoke up Sesshoumaru with a scathing tone. But his insult mainly served to hide his surprise. Surely he wasn't travelling with his reincarnated brother? He quickly dismissed this disturbing thought. The girl's mandarin scent didn't even relate to Inuyasha's, not to mention that she had always annoyed him. It wasn't a recent development. He glanced over his shoulder to see the red triangles topping her head. On the other hand…

"Feh. Your kindness overwhelms me, Sesshoumaru. Wait… I have less irritating qualities? Ones that you don't mind so much maybe?" A wicked smile crossed her face.

"Your entire being irritates me, wench. Make no mistake about that. Yet you use his words, you behave irrationally and we both reserve a deep hatred for the other. It leads one to believe that the Jewel made you more like Inuyasha than just physical attributes."

Kagome pulled a few leaves off a nearby tree and stared at them as her fingers tore them to shreds. "For one thing, you know why I act so strangely. I would love to see you as a half-demon and survive without going a little crackers."

He arched an eyebrow and immediately decided that he had been right. Had the girl taken possession of Inuyasha's soul, she would be brandishing Tetsusaiga by now. "I would never lower myself to that level."

"Yeah, just wait until I find a decent spell," she muttered, brushing away the tiny green flakes that now covered her fingers.

Sesshoumaru stopped, turned and gave the girl a stern look. "Doubtful, but I believe you were prattling about the reasons you are not similar to my late brother."

The hanyou rolled her eyes. "I was just going to say that I hate you because you tried to _kill_ me and my friends several times."

"You were in my way."

Kagome closed her eyes and waved her arm in a dismissing fashion. "No, no. You're supposed to tell me that you hated us for very silly reasons and we should just start over and forget that it ever happened."

"I will do no such thing."

"I know, I just wanted to put it out there in case you had a change of heart or something." She leaned forward and poked him in the chest. "But I don't think you even have a heart at all."

He captured her hand and pushed it away from his body. "Not one that any piece of filth like you could touch."

"Someday you'll make some demoness very unhappy, Sesshoumaru."

"Mates are for providing heirs and nothing more." The taiyoukai turned his back on her and began walking towards Kaede's village once again. The faint scent of the old woman's town was beginning to fill Sesshoumaru's senses and he knew they would reach it before nightfall. He suspected the girl would become quiet and melancholy once again as soon as she caught the scent.

"Nice attitude about women," Kagome huffed as she and Washi moved to follow him. "I'm very glad that Inuyasha didn't ask for any love advice from you."

Unseen by the girl, Sesshoumaru smirked. He remembered the day that Inuyasha _did_ come to him for advice about women. Before the half-breed met either miko, he had asked the taiyoukai about his options. Demoness or human? Or should he wait and watch for a hanyou like himself? At the time, Inuyasha had actually been concerned about the bloodline of their father.

The inuyoukai had told his brother the same thing he had just told the girl. Females existed to give their mates an heir, nothing more and nothing less. A female that did different should be killed to make room for a new mate.

Unfortunately for his little brother, he hadn't taken Sesshoumaru's advice. Instead, he became embroiled in a ridiculous love triangle, torn between two versions of the same soul. He didn't even try to ensnare a demoness that would be willing to breed with a mongrel.

As for himself, Sesshoumaru realized that with his brother dead, the need for an heir had increased tenfold. Only a demon with Inutaisho's blood could rule the restless Western Lands. Perhaps he would begin his search once he ensured that his property was safe and under his care. There were several candidates in his own court, although once his intentions were known, the other lords were bound to suggest their own daughters, cousins and sisters.

He would just have to make sure the female wasn't nearly as exasperating as the hanyou with him at the moment.

Behind him, Washi peered up at Kagome's face. In the last few minutes, it had slowly shifted to an expression of deep pain. He knew that she was beginning to recognize the terrain. They were clearly closing in on the site of the graves. Every step of hers was more and more reluctant. He had to make her happy again. "Hey, Kagome. Could I ask a question?" He grasped her hand once again.

"Um, sure, kiddo."

He grinned at the modification of his nickname, but quickly became serious in case she took offense to his prying. "I was just wondering if you'd tell me about Inuyasha and what he was like."

Her breath definitely hitched for a moment, but she recovered quite nicely. Unlike Sesshoumaru, Kagome knew that Washi was asking with genuine concern. Perhaps recalling a few good memories would take her mind off the depression that lay ahead at his gravesite. "Um, okay. What do you want to know?"

Her agreement surprised the eagle child, but he hid it carefully. "How did you meet?" Washi asked, trying to keep it safe.

"Well, Inuyasha was pinned to a tree for fifty years by a spell. I freed him when I needed his help destroying a centipede demon that was after me and the Shikon no Tama." She laughed softly at the memory. "He was such a jerk and even threatened to kill me when he found out I had the Jewel. That was the thanks I got! But after some running, some yelling and a little subduing spell, we became travelling companions."

Washi smiled up at her, pleased to see the small smirk on her face. He doubted that the subduing spell was really that 'little'. "So he was mean?"

"Only at first. Well… he was always kind of rough around the edges, but that's what made him Inuyasha. That's what I fell in love with." She pushed all thought out of her head, determined not to dwell on anything. She would simply answer the child's questions, nothing more.

But before he got to his third query, a distinct scent hit the girl's nose.

"No! Not here!" she whispered, lifting a hand to her mouth.

Wrenching away from Washi's grasp, she began to run at full speed through the forest.

"Wench!"

She ignored Sesshoumaru's angry call and the branches that scraped her body as she ran. Green and brown blurred together as she flew through the foliage. Birds and squirrels stopped their movements to watch the odd girl.

Tears began to stream down her face. Tears of fear and anger.

'Why? Why now?' she thought in fury. 'Haven't I suffered enough? Can't anyone leave well enough alone?'

She sensed two demon auras following her and she desperately wished that they would leave her alone. If it was as she feared, Kagome didn't want to explain it to them.

"What are you doing, you irritating wench?" Sesshoumaru hissed as he caught up with her. He expertly matched his speed to hers and glanced upwards to see flashes of Washi flying over the treetops.

"Never mind. Leave me alone," she breathed, already winded from the shock of the scent in the air. It was definitely growing stronger as she drew closer to Kaede's village.

He remained by her side however, as she sped through the forest, no matter how much she wanted him gone.

Finally, they broke through the tree line into the clearing surrounding the God Tree.

There was no mistake. The scent was strongest here.

Kagome rushed forward towards the five graves at the base of the sacred tree. One for each of her fallen friends, with Inuyasha in the center directly below where she had freed him from his fifty year sleep. She had buried their ashes deep in the ground, with small markers at the head of each mound, mixing traditional and contemporary burial practices.

Sesshoumaru paused at the edge of the clearing and felt Washi settle on the ground behind him. The child was breathing very hard from his arduous flight, but it hitched when he saw what the female hanyou was doing.

"No… no… no…" she muttered over and over as she circled Inuyasha particular grave.

Finally she fell to her knees and began… to dig.

The taiyoukai moved forward and sniffed the air. Unbelievably, he could not smell what the hanyou so clearly could. Dirt and grass, that was all besides the scents of his companions and the village.

He watched as the girl desecrated the grave of the one that she claimed to love. He finally decided to step in. "Stop this."

She didn't seem to listen, something that irked the demon to no end. The girl continued to dig, kneeling and throwing the dirt to either side of her.

Washi fluttered forward. "Kagome! What're you looking for?"

Briefly, her liquid brown eyes met his, but they quickly returned to her task. She continued to mutter 'no' repeatedly.

"She is insane," commented Sesshoumaru and he moved forward to fetch the eagle child. The boy looked up at him in pain, not wanting to leave the girl's side.

"Please, can't we stay? Something's wrong!"

"No. We will…" he trailed off as he drew closer.

And suddenly, the taiyoukai understood. He _had_ smelled the very thing that Kagome was going so crazy over. The scent of dirt and grass but not of his brother's ashes. The grave had been defiled before this day. The earth had been overturned. Despite her digging, they both knew that no urn would be found among the roots of the God Tree.

He walked to each of the other four graves. Each possessed trace aromas of the fire that burned their flesh and bones and even the smallest hint of their scents from when they lived. Their remains were still buried beneath the dark earth. Only Inuyasha was missing.

Nearby, Kagome was crying again. Her fingers bleed from her frenzied excavation and dripped into the hole that was now five feet deep. "I buried him right there," she wept, pointing to a place beside a large root. "Where is he? Where is he?"

Washi crept to her side and placed a talon-tipped hand on her shoulder. "We'll find him, Kagome."

His concerned emerald eyes were only met with cold brown ones. The light in them had died and Washi was, for a moment, afraid. Quickly, he felt the sting of Kagome's claws as she hit his wrist away. "Stop it! You're not Shippo!" She stood up and towered over him. "Go away! Stop trying to comfort me! That's not your job! He's gone! He's gone!"

The boy cradled his injured wrist to his stomach and tucked his chin to his chest. He wasn't sure who she was crying about now: Inuyasha, Shippo, or both. He _was_ sure that apologies would not be taken too well.

Kagome jumped into the hole she had created and pressed her hands the sides. "Where did you go, my love? Why did you leave me?" Leaning forward, she rested her forehead against the dirt wall, making it smudge against her skin. "Sometimes I hate you," she whispered. "You didn't have to leave me."

Sesshoumaru stood at the edge of the open grave, watching and listening to the girl. "What has happened here?" he asked. As much as he had detested his brother, anyone that defiled his grave was not an ally.

Furious eyes met his. "You aren't him! Go away, you imposter!" she screamed, pointing her bloodied finger at the taiyoukai that was robed in red. "Don't you dare try to replace him!"

The dog demon growled softly. He was _very_ tired of being compared to his worthless half-brother. Reaching down into the pit, he grasped the girl's wrist tightly and pulled her out, ignoring her squeak of protest. Before she could swipe at him, he set her onto the ground. "It would be prudent to ask the old miko about this. My brother's ashes may have been moved for a legitimate reason."

Kagome shook her head violently, clasping her hands together and hunching over. "No… no… no… Not here… Why did you leave me, Inuyasha? How could you? Again… Again… Not again." She moved her brown eyes to glance at Shippo's grave. "You're still here, little fox. Why won't you talk to me?"

"You are tiresome," the taiyoukai muttered. He glanced over the miko's body to the eagle child. "Are you injured?"

"I… I think I'm alright. She startled me more than anything," he answered, holding out his wrist and rotating it a few times. He stood up and stretched his wings. "What about her?"

Sesshoumaru swept his eyes over the weakling hanyou. Although the tips of her fingers were the worst, the girl was covered in scratches and splinters from her escapade through the forest. "We will take her to the old miko. She will take the girl, perhaps permanently if her state of mind continues in this fashion."

Washi nodded and cautiously stepped forward. "I think she's calmed down a little."

"She is in shock. Take her hand and lead her to the village." He turned and began walking towards the putrid scents of the human settlement. What lengths he went to for this despicable half-breed!

The boy gently wrapped his hand around Kagome's wrist, careful not to touch her self-inflicted wounds. "Come on, Kagome," he said softly as he pulled her forward.

Deadened eyes flickered to the child and then back to the dirt-covered ground as she began to follow him. The only noise she made was a quiet whimper as she lost sight of the graves.

It took them quite awhile to reach Kaede's village, since the girl would not move faster than a slow shuffle. Many times Sesshoumaru considered slinging her over his shoulder so they could go faster, but decided that he smelled of half-breed enough as it was.

Finally, he mounted the two steps into Kaede's home, pushing aside the mat that covered the doorway. The old woman was sitting next to the fire, stirring a foul-smelling stew full of broth and _rice_. He suppressed a shudder.

"Hello to ye, Lord Sesshoumaru," she murmured without looking up.

The taiyoukai nodded his greeting and waited a moment for Washi to enter with Kagome.

When the girl came into the hut, Kaede frowned and went to her side as quickly as her old bones would allow. She had been concerned for Kagome the entire time she had known her. First, she wondered if she would survive in the Feudal Era, a worry that the human quickly squashed. Then, the old miko worried about the young girl's heart. And now… now the girl was really no longer a girl. She was a hanyou who had been through more than anyone should suffer.

The old woman nodded to the eagle child and made the hanyou sit by the fire. As she studied the wounds on her hands and elsewhere, she questioned the taiyoukai. "What has happened to the girl?"

"She became hysterical upon learning that Inuyasha's grave no longer holds his ashes. She dug into the grave with her bare hands to confirm her fears."

If Kaede heard him, she had no reaction. She turned Kagome's hands over and frowned when she saw that dirt had worked its way into her injuries. She stood up and took the soup off the fire. Fetching another pot, she turned to the young demon. "Child, would ye get some water from the well? It is in the center of town. If ye can't reach it, someone will help ye."

Washi nodded and scampered out.

The old woman watched Sesshoumaru's eyebrows arch. "Do not ye worry. No villager would harm a friend of Kagome's." She sat beside the hanyou once more. "So the grave is Inuyasha is empty, hmm?"

"Defiled and robbed. I would like to know who has done this."

"Inuyasha made a great number of enemies in his life and some were not dispatched by his sword. There are several that would have the capability to do such a thing. Ye did not smell anything?"

The taiyoukai shook his head slightly, his long hair whispering against the burgundy silk.

"This does not bode well. Whoever did this intends to use Inuyasha's ashes for an evil purpose. Perhaps they want to resurrect him, and a powerful hanyou like that would be a difficult foe." She turned her head to look at Kagome, who was now silently and gently rocking back and forth. "When this happened to my sister, Kikyo's, grave…"

"No!" screamed Kagome, slamming her hands down onto the floorboards. She looked up at Sesshoumaru. "Why did you do it? Why did you leave me?"

The dog demon glared at the girl, while Kaede unsuccessfully tried to calm her down.

"I've got the water," announced Washi as he re-entered the hut. One glance at the three tense occupants of the room brought a deep frown to his face. "What's happening?"

Kagome's eyes flashed to the boy and she burst into tears. "Oh, Shippo! What did you think you were doing? Don't do it… Don't fight that witch! She's killed before and she'll do it again! Please don't die… Please don't die!" Her cries softened into a continuous murmur.

Washi edged around the fire pit and handed the full pot to Kaede, who quickly put it on the fire. "What's she talking about?" he asked.

"In some ways, ye look much like her young friend, Shippo. He died in the final battle with Naraku," the old miko answered. She sighed in sadness as she stood to retrieve cloth to clean Kagome's wounds.

"I know," the boy said softly. "What happened to him? I mean, she only calls me Shippo when I'm doing something for her. Did the kitsune sacrifice himself?"

"That he did, child. She would never tell me the details, but I believe the fox must have taken on a formidable foe and died before Kagome could say two words."

"That's what she told us, pretty much," responded Washi. "There's got to be something else."

"Perhaps ye are right," murmured Kaede as she bent over Kagome's hands, using the warm water to clean away the blood and dirt. "She has splinters everywhere."

"She ran through the woods," explained Washi.

The old miko looked up at Sesshoumaru, who had been standing there in silence. "I am getting on in years, but ye have sharp claws and good eyesight still. Would ye assist this old woman in getting out Kagome's splinters? Some are buried deep."

The taiyoukai inwardly sighed and sat down to attend the girl's injuries. He couldn't have the old bat harming the wench if she did recover enough to continue on her mission. The girl unfortunately had worn her miko clothing, allowing splinters to wedge their way under the fabric and into her skin.

He waited until Kaede had finished bandaging the girl's right hand before unraveling his tail from his shoulder. Deftly, he wrapped the tip around the hanyou's wrist, holding it into place as he used his one arm to push up the white sleeve. Each time he found a small shard of wood, he used the tip of his claw to cut an incision and pull it out.

Her eyes met his several times and he was disturbed to see that they held no life. It was like looking at a corpse. They spoke the same words time after time.

"Inuyasha?" It was the only moment when a light appeared in her gaze.

"No."

"Where is he?"

"Dead." Every time he responded this way, her eyes would die again.

Caring for the hanyou's wounds was a rather long and tedious process and by the time they were done, Washi was dozing in the corner.

"What is the child's name?" Kaede asked softly, as she finished inspecting their work.

"Washi."

"An orphan like Shippo?"

"Yes."

The old miko nodded. "His eyes are almost the copy of the young kitsune's."

"I remember."

Kaede went to the demon child and gently shook him awake. "Child, I think we need your help."

Washi's eyes opened immediately. "Help? What can I do?"

She took his hand and led him over to Kagome's still form. "Talk to her. I believe the girl needs a shoulder to cry on."

The boy clambered into the hanyou's lap and turned his startling green orbs up to the girl. She moved her head towards him, but her eyes stared right through him. "Kagome? Are you there? Do you know who I am? It's Washi. Remember?"

"Shippo doesn't talk to me anymore," she murmured in return.

His eyes softened and he curled his arms around her wrist. "I know, Kagome. Listen, okay? You need to get better. We'll figure it out. We'll find out where Inuyasha's ashes went."

"Inuyasha!" she whispered.

"It might be best if ye avoid that subject. Talk to her normally," suggested Kaede. She had been there when Kagome returned from the final battle. She had already made her wish and already wore Tetsusaiga by her side. The old miko remembered Kagome's anger towards those that had killed her friends, a consuming fury that prevented them from discussing what had happened. The only clue was that the new hanyou seemed to be angry at her deceased lover. Provoking a demon that wasn't exactly lucid would get them nowhere.

"Okay," he agreed, keeping his eyes on the young miko. "Kagome. Remember when you met me? I hugged you and you told me to go away. But look at us now! You were being so nice to me today. Will you talk to me?"

She didn't answer.

"Well, I'm going to talk to you, Kagome. Is that okay?" He looked around, searching for a topic of a one-sided conversation. The taiyoukai and elderly miko sat on opposite sides of the room, their attention on the hanyou. They weren't being much help. "Guess what, Kagome? I think my cut is getting better. You really did well taking care of me!"

Her eyes focused on the boy's face and the bandage that covered the wound left by the villagers. Lifting a hand to the white patch, she gave him a small smile. "Shippo, what did you do this time?"

Washi's heart constricted for a moment, but he immediately forgave her for the mistake. He touched her clawed hand that was brushing across the gauze. "I'm okay, Mama. Remember? That lady hurt me, but I'm fine now."

Kagome's eyes flared to life and the eagle found himself in the midst of a bone-crushing embrace. "No! I won't let her get you!"

Sesshoumaru moved forward, aware of the spike of fear in Washi's scent, but the hanyou leapt away. She cowered in the corner of the hut, holding the child tightly to her chest. His green eyes were wide with surprise, but he seemed relatively safe. The taiyoukai stopped and remained a few feet away.

"He's mine to protect! Don't you dare try to touch him!"

Kaede frowned. "No one is trying to take him away from ye, Kagome."

"Yes, she is! She hates him!" She paused, breathing hard and pushing sweaty locks out of her eyes. "Or does she hate me? Who knows… But I won't let him die!"

Washi twisted his head as much as the hanyou would allow, so that he could look at her. "I'm here and alive, Kagome. Don't worry."

The girl's breathing evened out slightly. "Shippo?"

"I'm okay, Mama," he assured her. "You can let go now, if you want. I'm safe here. We both are."

Her arms loosened and fell to her sides, although her chocolate brown eyes remained trained on the boy. The fury and fear was now replaced by deep, soul-searing anguish. "But you aren't, Shippo. You died. You're dead. Aren't you?"

Washi hesitated.

"Answer her," intoned Sesshoumaru from behind him. "The truth."

The demon child reached up and wrapped his arms around the hanyou's neck. "He is dead, Kagome. But he loved you."

The girl was sobbing again. "But I didn't protect him… I let him die."

"I'm sure you didn't, Kagome. You protected him very well. Sometimes bad things happen."

Kaede watched this exchange with a pain carving itself through her heart. It was as if the last six months had never happened, like the hanyou had just returned from that battle and was just coming to terms with her loss. The disappearance of Inuyasha's ashes must have reawakened her sorrow. "Ask the girl what happened that day, child. Kagome must let it out."

Washi nodded and smiled softly at the young woman. "Mama, will you tell us?"

It took a couple repetitions for her to understand what they wanted. After a few moments, the girl wiped her tears away and spoke in halting phrases

She watched as Kirara's large white body fell to the ground. The demon that had killed her leaned over to lick the fire cat's wounds, lapping up the red liquid as if he had been starved before the battle. 

_"Kirara!" called Shippo. His claws dug into her shoulder and salty tears dripped onto her neck and chest._

_She wanted to comfort the kitsune, but she didn't even have the time to mourn for the dead cat demon. A thick cloud of dust covered the battlefield, preventing her from seeing anything more than ten yards away. In order to stay alive, the girl had to stay aware of her surroundings._

_But only when the fox demon leapt down from her shoulder did the girl realize the danger they were in. Without the fire cat, demon exterminator and monk, the odds were stacked heavily against them._

_"Shippo! No! Where are you going?" she screamed, running after the scampering child._

_"I have to protect her! She was my friend!"_

_"Shippo!"_

_"Fox fire!" he yelled as he closed in on the youkai devouring Kirara's body. The blue fire singed the worm demon's skin, causing it to yelp in pain and move away into the dusty mist._

_"Oh, thank Kami-sama," muttered the girl as she reclaimed Shippo. "Don't do that to me! We're in danger here! Inuyasha told us to stay back!"_

_A scorching pain hit her back and she dropped the kitsune as she fell to her knees._

_"Kagome!"_

_The girl looked around, but didn't see what had injured her. The carnage surrounding them hid all traces of any attack. As she turned back to the fox child, she noticed a hazy figure coming towards them. Shippo's back was to it however, as he fussed over his adoptive mother. He was oblivious to the danger._

_"Run, Shippo!" she breathed as she watched a large demon emerge from the dust cloud. It was one of Naraku's many mindless minions._

_"Come with me!"_

_"Go!" she yelled, feeling pain shoot through her back again from the simple act of raising her voice. There was no way she could move. Her only option was to purify the youkai by touch. "I'll be fine. I promise."_

The kitsune nodded and scampered away, leaving the field open for the injured girl to fight the youkai. The battle was extremely brief, considering the sheer size of the youkai. But it had been all brawn and no brain. She simply reached out and touched the creature's foot, before it could even snarl. Its ashes fell down like rain onto her black-haired head. 

_Just as the girl was about to smile in triumph, a shriek of pain reached her ears. It was Shippo. She dragged herself to face the scream, whimpering as her back protested. Searing pain jolted up and down her spine, making her vision blur and dance._

The last thing the girl saw before losing consciousness was the dead body of her adopted child and his murderer towering over him. 

Kagome hiccuped a few times as she finished her story and buried her fingers into Washi's soft feathered wings as she began to sob.

The little boy in her arms allowed her to cry herself out before speaking. "Mama?"

The hanyou's head jerked up and she peered at the child. It was as if a haze had lifted from her mind. A dark spot in her heart had been revealed and taken out, so that the hole could truly begin to mend. "Washi?"

He gave her a small smile. "You're back. I'm glad. We were worried about you."

"I was not," intoned Sesshoumaru from across the room. Annoyance welled up within him. Clearly, the girl's story had something to do with Inuyasha's ashes, but she did not disclose the identity of the kitsune's killer.

The girl ignored the taiyoukai and smiled at the eagle child, although her eyes were still red from crying. "I'm sorry, kiddo. I guess I just lost it when I found that empty grave. But I feel better now. Not completely, but I'm getting there." Her eyes moved to his back, where her fingers still disappeared under the layers of feathers. "Oh! Am I hurting you?"

When she went to move her hands, the boy stopped her. "No, it's fine. As long as you don't pull any of them out, it feels kind of nice." He snuggled next to her stomach as Kagome gently rubbed the sore joints of his wings. He had never flown so fast and so far before the chase she gave them earlier that day.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes at the flowery banter. "Wench, tell us who killed the kitsune. It is the same demon who stole my brother's ashes, is it not?"

Kagome's face darkened, but she didn't stop her ministrations to Washi's wings. "They are one and the same."

Kaede leaned forward. "Then tell us, child. Do not worry, we will undo any damage this demon intends to inflict upon ye."

"That's just it, Kaede," the hanyou answered, her voice becoming hard as steel. "It wasn't a demon. It was Kikyo."

A/N: I'm sure you guys weren't too surprised, but eh… It can't all be twists and turns, can it? Well, hopefully the next chapter will make things a bit clearer (such as Kikyo's motivations and suchlike)… This and the next chapter are very important! So, I say again, if you have any questions, just ask! I'll try and answer them.

Review responses removed due to ban


	7. The Shadows

A/N: Sorry this took so long – finals and then the internet got cut off for the summer… But I got such great reviews! I love you all! In return, I'll give you all what you've asked repeatedly for – a little hint of why this is in the romance section!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 7: The Shadows

Kagome sat on the edge of the well, with her legs dangling down the inner wall. Around her, the crickets chirped sadly. Above, the moon shone down with a bright light, making the shadows stretch across the gray grass. It would be full in a few days.

She watched her feet move in the darkness, thumping dully against the wall of the well. Several times, she almost pushed off and let herself fall, but fear held her back.

What if she couldn't come back? What if she had to leave the Feudal Era forever?

What if… the well wouldn't let her through at all?

It was the third question that kept her from jumping, that kept her knuckles white and her claws digging into the wooden sides.

And yet, she still preferred this uncertainty to the tense atmosphere back at the village. She had to leave when Kaede's lips set themselves into a hard line at Kagome's announcement.

Of course, the hanyou hadn't really expected the old miko to take the news very well. It's not every day that someone accuses your undead sister of murder, especially the cold-blooded killing of a child. But it's even rarer that a person would accept this accusation, no matter how long they had known the accuser. And then the younger miko had taken it one step further and blamed Kikyo for defiling a grave, an enormous crime.

Yes, it had been a wise choice to temporarily distance herself from Kaede.

It probably hadn't helped that Kagome had no real evidence of the grave robbery. She was certain that it had been the undead bitch who killed Shippo, but nothing clearly indicated she had stolen Inuyasha's ashes. _That_ was only a well-educated guess, in Kaede's mind at least.

But to the hanyou, not being able to smell the thief was damning evidence indeed. No creature was without a scent and only Kikyo left behind one that would blend perfectly with the scent of a graveyard.

There were no other suspects either. None that made a whit of sense anyway.

But none of these things really mattered to Kagome. She knew it had been Kikyo. She could feel it with the soul she shared with the undead woman. The soul that was now drenched in her own child's blood.

No, the real concern was what Kikyo would _do_ with the ashes. Resurrection seemed to be the logical choice, since that was the only thing one could do with the deceased's remains.

But how would that help the undead priestess? A resurrected Inuyasha would still be Inuyasha. The hanyou who had fallen in love with her and rejected Kikyo would be of no use to anyone that wished to harm Kagome. Or anyone close to her for that matter, since Inuyasha would spare even Jaken if she asked him to.

Kikyo calculated risks and advantages more carefully than that. She would have run through all these possibilities a hundred times before acting. She was not a rash person.

And yet what other choice was there?

It hurt her head to just trying to think about it.

She sighed and stared down into the inky depths of the well once again, wondering for the millionth time if she should take a risk and jump. How many times had she wished that she could do so without her heart threatening to fail? How many times had she wanted to see that blue light surround her without fearing she'd never see it again?

But right now, she wanted to escape this world and all the problems that she had gotten herself into. She wanted to lie down on her family's couch, have her mother stroke her hair and cry about all that had gone wrong over the last six months.

And yet… how would her mother react when she saw the red fuzzy ears, claws and fangs Kagome had acquired? Sure, it was adorable on Inuyasha, but on her own daughter? She doubted that her mother would call her a freak, but the miko also doubted that she would ever receive the same loving looks again. After all, could she really be considered a Higurashi when half of her blood was given to her by the Shikon no Tama?

One would think that killing Naraku would end the torment, not bring even a bigger bout of pain.

Rubbing her temples, Kagome sighed again. She shouldn't have gone looking for Sesshoumaru. It had only served to drudge up painful memories and to prolong her grieving period. Having an Inuyasha look-alike around was beginning to freak her out. She vaguely remembered calling him "Inuyasha" at least once during the past twenty-four hours, although her memory was rather fuzzy.

But she couldn't exactly ask Sesshoumaru to leave now. What would she say? That she had made a mistake in saving him and that he should just go on his merry way?

She scoffed lightly. That would just pique his interest… and his anger. He had already looked royally pissed off when she left the hut without explaining things further, as if she had told a ghost story and left out the twist at the end.

A shiver ran down her spine, alerting her to the presence of a youkai. She tensed up and sniffed the air. Sage and lavender entered her senses. "It's only you," she said out loud, relaxing her shoulders.

The taiyoukai growled at the hanyou's back, annoyed that he did not threaten her any longer. Not that it could be expected after he let her fall into his lap and hit him without punishment. Perhaps he should have sliced her up a bit for the intrusion.

Kagome smirked at his noise of disapproval and peeked over her shoulder to watch him approach. "Would you prefer if I acted helpless? Or did you want me to blindly attack?"

"I would _prefer_ your silence." He paused and waited for some acknowledgement, but soon realized that she was actually following his request for once. "The old woman and child have fallen asleep. You may return without suffering any _consequences_."

Kagome pressed her hands against the damp wood of the well's wall and pressed down, propelling her body up and over the well shaft. She twisted around in the air and landed gracefully on the other side, facing the taiyoukai. Brushing the dirt from her palms, her brown eyes met his golden ones.

They glittered, even in the darkness, with a sad light.

"Was she still angry?" The words came out in a whisper.

"Why do you care?" he countered. He stopped walking forward, suddenly aware that she did not want him closer, which was fine with him. They faced each other, a slight breeze making their long hair dance.

"Kaede is my friend. She took care of me in the beginning."

He assumed that the girl meant the beginning of her time as a half-breed. After the battle, she probably had more than just emotional wounds. The old miko could take care of her bodily injuries, but he doubted she had eased the girl into life as a half-demon. Humans knew nothing of a demon life. Even Inuyasha would have been a better teacher. He cursed his brother for leaving him the leftovers of a tortured girl-turned-demon.

"She is a human, nothing more. Even as a hanyou, you are superior to her."

Anger flashed across her expression. "You're really going to have to learn that not _all_ humans are bad if you want to travel with me."

"I do not wish to travel with you. I am _obligated_ to do so." He chose to not comment about his opinion of humans, since it would only start an argument that he was too tired for. Leave it to the girl to still care about a species that wanted to stone her to death just the day before.

Kagome cocked her head to the side. "Cute. You really like to mince words, don't you?"

"Unlike you, I simply think before I speak."

She put her hands on her hips and frowned at the taiyoukai. The haunting light of the moon made her face appear skeletal and pale. Only her dark eyes stood out, contrasted against her china doll skin. "Not that I don't love verbally sparring with you, but was there any reason you came here? Or were you just bored and wanted to piss me off for your amusement?"

For a moment, Sesshoumaru was at a loss for words. Why _had_ he come out here? Surely she could have survived outside for the night.

He tried not to sigh. Perhaps three days of tears softened even the hardest of hearts. But that was unlikely. The taiyoukai had watched innumerable demons and humans grovel at his feet before dying. They would cry about their families, offer their wealth and even claim that they had long-lost loves they had to find.

None of them had touched his heart, so it was highly improbable that the wench did. It was much more likely that he needed female companionship more than he previously thought.

"You were wandering alone with a dangerous miko on the loose," he answered slowly, trying to convince himself with his own words. "You have my father's sword and information that you have not yet disclosed. Once you give those to me, I do not care what you do at night or any other time."

"Good luck with that," she scoffed. "You can't even touch Tetsusaiga without getting a nasty shock so I don't know why you try." She leapt forward and crouched on the edge of well, her wrists resting on her knees. "So really, why are you here?"

She received a cold glare in response. Apparently his taciturn manner had become the silent treatment.

Pulling at her sleeves, Kagome sighed and decided to steer the conversation away from dangerous subjects like what he was doing and why. "Right… well… um… Sorry about the whole going crazy thing. Again." Anything was better than silence, even apologies.

Another cold stare. Why did she suddenly feel as if she was on a blind date? A blind date with a dead fish, of course.

She stood up on the edge of the well and stretched. "Fine, I give up," she muttered.

Fatigue seeped through her limbs as she stepped onto the grass. No wonder she could not annoy Sesshoumaru as deftly as usual. She was exhausted.

But as the hanyou walked past the taiyoukai, his remaining arm sprang out to hold her back. He caught her across her rib cage, directly below her breasts. "Why Sesshoumaru, I didn't know you cared," she quipped, lazily moving her eyes down to where his claws gripped her exterminator's uniform. "But usually I wait until at least the third…"

"Shut up, half-breed," he hissed. Without removing his arm, he began twisting his head and sniffing the air.

She fell silent and strained to hear what the taiyoukai had found so alarming. But besides the gentle whisper of silk that Sesshoumaru's clothes was creating, she couldn't hear a thing out of place.

The dog demon growled ever so softly as he trained his eyes on the trees directly to his left. Red began to slowly bleed into amber.

When Kagome tried to move, his claws only tightened around her body, nearly piercing her skin. "Sesshoumaru?" she whispered, slightly frightened by the look in his eyes. Unlike a certain hanyou, the taiyoukai didn't have a subduing charm. If he decided to go homicidal, Kagome wouldn't be able to do a damn thing to stop him.

He squeezed her ribs hard, in order to silence her. She bit back the urge to yelp in pain.

Slowly, the inuyoukai moved his hand down her side, finally resting in the curve of her waist. It would have been quite an intimate touch if his eyes weren't glowing with murderous thoughts. Then, in one swift movement, he grabbed her wrist and swung the girl around behind him.

Caught unaware, Kagome yipped as her face crashed into the taiyoukai's strong back. Feeling his hand leave her wrist, she rubbed at her now tingling nose. "What was that for?" she spat.

She heard the crackle of Tokijin as it was drawn from its place at Sesshoumaru's side.

"What're you doing? Tell me!"

"Protecting a worthless half-breed," he snarled. "Now, be _quiet_!"

He was clearly serious. Something had spooked the dog demon and she wasn't about to brush off anything that could scare _him_. She pressed herself against his back and peeked around his left side.

For a moment, she didn't see anything. Then, the shadow of a tree quivered as the side broke off and joined another shadow. Her eyes searched the tree line, but nothing could be seen. "A shadow demon?" she whispered. She couldn't smell it or even see it that well.

Another soft growl erupted from his throat, wordlessly warning her for the third time that silence would be prudent.

Kagome bit her lip and retreated to her former position, letting Sesshoumaru's body hide her own. Her hands rested on either side of his spine, where it curved inwards. She leaned her forehead against his back, trying to calm her breathing. The faint scent of sage and lavender settled her stomach a bit, reminding her that he wouldn't let her die. Not yet anyway.

But almost immediately, she became paranoid that the strange creatures were surrounding them and turned, so that the demon and hanyou were back to back. A hand drifted down to Tetsusaiga's hilt, although she had no idea how to hurt a shadow.

If that was even what it was lurking out there, scaring her half to death.

Before she could break the silence again, Sesshoumaru moved away. Her back turned icy from the loss of his body heat.

A loud battle cry brought her to her senses. She turned immediately, horrified to see that several shadow demons had sprung from the trees. Sesshoumaru's sword crackled repeatedly as he wielded the blade, but it seemed that it only kept the creatures at bay.

Kagome let go of her sword's hilt as she took a few steps towards the shadows fighting the taiyoukai.

Their movements were mesmerizing. They had no discernible forms, but instead seemed to bleed in and out of the shadowy background. But they also had no weapons to speak of, except incredibly long fingers that seemed to do whatever they wished. Thankfully, it didn't appear that they were capable of inflicting harm on the taiyoukai.

She watched in amazement as they deflected Tokijin with mere gestures. So amazed, that she almost didn't notice the demon creeping up to Sesshoumaru's right flank.

"Sesshoumaru! To your right!" she called.

He pointed his sword towards the offending creature, which immediately paused in its attack and began to slink back into the ranks of his companions.

The hanyou continued to stare, disbelief etching across her features. "This is so weird," she murmured, as she heard the taiyoukai growl in frustration.

What seemed to be a freezing cold rope suddenly slipped around her throat and pulled her backwards. "You have no idea, little half-breed," wheezed a sly voice.

She grabbed at whatever held her, but her fingers flowed directly through it. She realized with a shudder that it was those long fingers of the shadow creatures. "Please," she croaked. "What do you want?" Her eyes darted to the distracted taiyoukai, but his back was still to her. Only if she called to him, would he notice her peril. And she couldn't call out with the shadow choking her.

Another cold appendage wrapped around her waist, dragging her towards the trees. Once the gloom of the leaves covered them, the creature answered, "For your blood to spill."

More shadow creatures joined them as they pulled her through the underbrush. Kagome watched helplessly as the moonlit clearing faded out of view and dark trees closed in around them. After ten minutes, the creatures paused.

She was thrown to the ground and immediately felt a rock jab the middle of her back. But it wasn't nearly as bad as the several shadows that seemed to cover her limbs, preventing any movement.

Whimpering, Kagome forced her eyes over to her attacker. It was barely visible, only a sliver of moonlight through the canopy allowed her to see the outline of what must have been its shoulders and head. It had to be the leader.

Feeling another hand close over her throat, the hanyou kicked strongly, but the shadows clearly had the ability to choose which parts of their body were solid and which were not. She silently cursed her bad luck. It was like having unbreakable elastic bands holding her down, with no chance of escape.

Her hand was forcibly turned over so that her palm faced upwards. Her already injured fingers gave sent a pulse of dull pain up her arm in retaliation for the sharp movement. Immediately, Kagome twisted her fingers, trying to slice a piece of the monsters hurting her.

A low chuckle met her ears. "Haven't you learned, half-breed? You cannot injure us. We are pure shadows."

"Pure jackasses, more like," she sputtered, trying to get her windpipe open under the pressure.

"Now, now… is that any way to talk to your future god?"

'Oh great,' the hanyou thought. 'Yet another creep with a power trip. Why do they target the half-demons?'

The soft sound of metal across metal came to her ears just as the moonlight glinted off what seemed to be the long, thin blade of a dagger. Kagome felt her heart stop as she watched the shadow creatures' leader move to kneel beside her.

As the cool metal tip touched her palm, she tried to even out her rapid breathing. If this was all they wanted from her, she could deal with a little scar on her hand.

Unfortunately for the girl, the blade was not as sharp as it appeared. The cool tip tore through her flesh, biting it and leaving ragged edges. Kagome began to choke on her own tears as pain shot up her arm. The only thing worse would be a rusty dagger, just when she had lost access to tetanus shots.

What sickened her most was that her pain was _exciting_ the shadows. They moved with greater speed and their grips on her limbs grew tighter. And, despite the blood pounding in her ears, she could have sworn that they were laughing and whispering around her.

Her hand was lifted off the ground and pivoted so that the blood would drip onto the ground. Kagome felt sick at how fast it was running out of her body. The shadow must have cut a good three inches across her palm. She whimpered again as it flowed. In all of her years in the Feudal Era, this would be one of the biggest wounds she had ever received.

The creature let out a low purr as Kagome struggled. She looked over and saw for the first time that the monster wasn't letting her blood drip to the ground, but rather into a clay jar.

"Why… why do you… want my blood?" she breathed out slowly, trying not to agitate her captors into crushing her larynx.

"Oh right… like I am going to tell you," hissed the creature, squeezing her hand to keep the flow steady.

Kagome closed her eyes, surrendering herself to the fact that it wouldn't answer any of her questions. Not that it mattered, since the monster probably planned to kill her shortly.

"Wench!"

The call was faint, but audible. The hanyou's eyes flew open and her heart began to beat faster in anticipation. Naturally, that simply sped up the drip of her blood into the jar.

But the creatures began to move uneasily, jerking their heads around to watch for the taiyoukai. Kagome knew that he could sense their demonic auras, or at least smell her blood. _That_ alone would bring him to her side. It was about damn time, in the hanyou's opinion.

She cracked a smile, ignoring her chapped lips that had dried in a matter of minutes. "He's… gonna… kill… you."

Only the leader seemed unaffected by the dog demon's approach. He calmly waited for her blood to cease dripping and put a stopper into the jar's neck.

Kagome could feel the shadow over her body as he leaned down next to her ear. She damned the creature holding her throat. For these guys, she would even use her fangs to rip them apart.

"He can't kill us, half-breed. No one can," he whispered. He leaned back once again.

"Wench!" It was much closer this time and the shadows began to scatter, although Kagome wasn't sure why. If they were so invulnerable, why didn't they just kill the taiyoukai and her? Like everything else in her life, it didn't make sense.

The leader of the shadows was the last to depart. He brushed his cold fingers over her faced with a feather touch, making her shudder. "We will see each other again," he murmured with an almost sensual tone.

And then, she was alone once again. Kagome rolled onto her side and curled herself into a fetal position, letting her hand rest away from her body. It felt dirty after that _monster_ had touched it.

It was strange in a way. After all the battles with all of those youkai, the girl had rarely felt this hateful towards a demon. And all it had done was cut her hand and steal her blood. Hardly the "causing betrayal between loved ones and collecting Jewel shards for world domination" kind of villainy that she normally detested.

But it had been like she was touched by pure evil. Not even Naraku had given her that feeling.

Her stomach was still churning when Sesshoumaru arrived. He circled the weak hanyou, noticing that her hand was injured and still bleeding slowly. For such a deep cut, it was not surprising that he had believed she would be dead. The knife had almost gone straight through her flesh.

"Wench," he finally said. "Are you able to stand?"

The girl pushed herself up onto her one good hand and knees, but immediately collapsed again. Pain was still shooting up her arm and she still felt physically ill. Turning her head, she found Sesshoumaru towering over her with a blank expression. "I don't think I can. I don't understand why. I haven't lost that much blood."

"The shadows' presence drained my energy. As a hanyou, you undoubtedly suffered more than I," he answered as he knelt down on the ground.

His tail uncurled from his shoulder and snaked its way around her torso while his arm hooked underneath her legs. Effortlessly, he lifted the girl from the ground.

"Do not bleed on me," he warned, casting a disapproving eye at her hand.

"I think it's pretty much stopped," she answered quietly. Despite the need to be in a nice, warm bed with a clean bandage around her hand, Kagome desperately wanted to stand with her feet firmly on the forest floor. It was much too uncomfortable to be nestled into the chest of her dead lover's brother. On the other hand… she was _extremely_ tired…

Sesshoumaru slowly walked away from where the hanyou had been injured. His own leg was sore from the battle, where one of the shadows had struck him particularly hard.

The taiyoukai was extremely vexed. He hadn't been able to _touch_ them. Only Tokijin's energy had staved them off. He himself had hardly contained the sword's evil aura. The shadow creatures had been weakening him. If they had continued, Sesshoumaru would have been at their mercy.

And then… they had retreated. No final blows, no trite words and no gloating. Had anyone else bested the dog demon, even temporarily, they would be screaming it from the mountaintops. But these youkai didn't so much as snicker.

Only when they retreated, did Sesshoumaru realize that the scent of blood was thick in the air. He had been _distracted_, and now the hanyou was fading in and out of consciousness against his shoulder.

He was holding the result of his own inattention and it angered the hell out of him.

"What's wrong?" asked the girl sleepily. Her brown eyes opened and stared up at him.

The inuyoukai glanced down, realizing that he had growled at his own thoughts. "It was nothing," he replied.

Kagome blinked a few times, trying to clear the slumber from her eyes. "It's not your fault you know. Those things were awful. No one could have expected that."

Sesshoumaru glared down at the girl. "I do not care about you, wench."

"I know you don't," she said in an indifferent tone. "I guess I just worry about you sometimes."

The taiyoukai tried to hide his disbelief. The girl worried about him? Unlikely. Why should anyone worry about the Lord of the Western Lands? If they did, it was the concern that he would pay them a visit and perhaps send them to meet Kami-sama. No one else would give a second thought.

Kami, but this girl was a paradox.

"Why would a hanyou worry about a youkai?" he questioned.

She turned her head away and began to color slightly. "It's not about a hanyou and a youkai. It's about friends."

"We are _not_ friends."

The red tint left her cheeks and she frowned. Poking him in the chest with the pad of her forefinger, she said, "You just saved me from creatures that could have easily killed me. I mean, the leader was kind of persistent, but you scared off the others. So I'm sorry. You have a friend now, whether or not you like it, buster." She yawned, showing off sharp fangs that could rival any youkai's.

Sesshoumaru began to sigh, but a thought forced it to catch in his throat. "You said 'sometimes'. 'Sometimes' you worry about this Sesshoumaru. That indicates that you have held concern for me before this night."

She placed a hand on the soft tail that encircled her waist, seemingly forgetting her previous hesitance to touch the pelt. "When you see two brothers fight for years on end, it tends to make you worry. Even if you love one of them and dislike the other." Her fingers sank into the thick fur. "And don't mistake this for pity. I _do not_ pity those who have tried to kill my loved ones. But your arm…"

"Means nothing," he finished for her. "A mark of bad judgement. It will _not_ happen again."

"Hope not," she retaliated, sudden heat flowing through her voice. "You just have the one left now."

He almost smirked. The girl was definitely getting her fire back.

And… he was _pleased_ about it.

At that moment, the taiyoukai realized that he _liked_ the wench's barbed tongue. In his centuries of life, no one else had risen to his unspoken challenges quite like her.

Sesshoumaru glanced at the wound in her hand, the ragged edges of which she was tracing with a claw. He had been so certain that she would be dead when he found her. It hadn't been fright that swept through his body, but rather annoyance. To find another worthy opponent would be difficult indeed and he didn't want to give her up quite yet.

Not until he got tired of her anyway.

Meanwhile, Kagome was once again stroking his tail almost absent-mindedly. "Before I was so _rudely_ interrupted, I was going to say that your arm really takes something away from you. Physically, at least. I just worry that you might be affected emotionally too."

"Do not be ridiculous, half-breed. It is a battle scar. Nothing more."

"One hell of a battle scar," she scoffed quietly, turning her head away and crossing her arms over her chest.

The soft, flickering light of the village fires came into view as they crested a hill. The hanyou breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the settlement didn't have any signs of an attack.

"Listen, Sesshoumaru. I know you probably want to talk about what happened, but I'd really rather get this cut cleaned up and go to bed. Can we discuss it tomorrow?"

After a moment's pause and an annoyed scowl, the taiyoukai nodded. He gently released her legs and steadied her with his tail before removing his touch completely. Then, he watched as she smiled her thanks and moved away towards the glow of Kaede's doorway.

Kagome's smile grew broader as she stumbled into the old miko's hut, completely forgetting why she had left the place earlier in the evening.

"Kaede?" she whispered. She could see the sleeping form of the old woman in the next room, next to a smaller bundle of blanket that must have been Washi. Kagome leaned on the doorframe and tapped her claws against the wood. The larger body wiggled as it fought to stay asleep. "Kaede? Are you awake? I need to talk to you."

The old woman made a soft sound of exasperation but stood up anyway. She had clearly fallen asleep in her clothes, which were slightly rumpled. As she came into the main room, Kaede glanced at Kagome sharply, but the expression softened as soon as she saw the pale color of the hanyou's face and the bloodstained hand. "Child, what happened to ye?"

'There goes the whole not talking about it idea,' mused the hanyou bitterly. Her eyes wandered to a cozy corner of the hut, which had been her bed many times in the past years. Aloud, she said, "Shadow demons. Wanted my blood for some reason. They wouldn't tell me why."

The old miko frowned and motioned for the young woman to sit by the fire. "Let me see the wound," she requested. "Ye have been receiving many injuries as of late."

"Guess it's just my luck," answered the hanyou as she watched Kaede clean the cut with warm water.

"Where is Lord Sesshoumaru? Surely, he returned with ye?"

Kagome glanced around the hut, slightly surprised to see that the silent taiyoukai had not followed her inside. "Perhaps he wanted to stay away from the scent of blood. I could see him trying not to wrinkle his nose at it. Not that I blame him. It's kind of strong."

Before she could begin to think that she should look for him, the taiyoukai came into the hut and placed a small-leafed plant on the floor next to Kaede before sitting down in a far corner. "Crush them and apply it to the wound. It will make it heal faster."

Both of the women stared at the blank-faced dog demon. After a moment, Kaede picked up the leaves and studied them. "Thank ye, Lord Sesshoumaru, but I believe this is only a common weed."

An arched eyebrow told the old miko exactly what he thought of her _beliefs_. "I would not expect a human to know of this remedy. It only works for demons… and hanyous." He moved his golden eyes to the girl and frowned, as if she had forced him to go and search for the plant. "It will ease the pain."

This was at least the third time he had surprised the young miko in the last few hours alone. She smiled at him, trying to get a mixture of thanks and indifference into the expression so that the taiyoukai wouldn't be discouraged from helping in the future. Quickly, to avoid prolonged eye contact, Kagome turned to watch Kaede, who had taken out her mortar and pestle to crush the leaves.

It shortly turned into a rather strong-smelling paste. It was vaguely familiar. The younger miko closed her nose with one hand while the elder applied it to the clean wound and bound it up with linen.

A brief glance out of the corner of her eyes told Kagome that Sesshoumaru was watching the process as well. She blew the bangs out of her vision. He was probably just making sure Kaede didn't hurt her any further tonight. Then he might be stuck in a human village for another night.

On the other hand, he could have just let her suffer.

Suddenly, Kagome gasped.

"Child? What's wrong?"

The hanyou looked up at Kaede with a slightly dazed expression. "The herb. It's making my hand all tingly and warm. It feels funny."

The women turned their heads to gaze at Sesshoumaru. "This reaction is normal," he said simply. "If it displeases you, wash it off."

"I didn't say it was bad funny. It's kinda nice funny."

Sesshoumaru gave a self-satisfied nod and closed his eyes.

"Child, who would want to do this to ye?"

The hanyou gave the old miko a serious look, trying to ascertain if she would become angry again. Or even a little miffed. Either way, Kagome didn't feel like dealing with it. Once she was sure that none of that would occur, she answered, "I can't be certain, but it must have something to do with Inuyasha's ashes being stolen. It's too coincidental."

"So ye believe it was my sister, then?" Kaede moved to clean the mortal and pestle, washing it gently with a damp cloth.

"She had something to do with it, yes."

"Why does Kikyo have reason to do such things?" asked the old woman as she got up to put away the stone implements.

Kagome traced the lines separating the floorboards with a claw. "She knew about me and Inuyasha," she said finally. "He told her that he wouldn't be coming to see her anymore. That he had chosen and it wasn't her. She was _not_ pleased to have lost her traveling companion to hell."

"And so she killed Shippo because she knew it would hurt ye," murmured Kaede.

"Most likely, although I kind of fell unconscious before I could give her the third degree," answered the hanyou with an attempt at wry humor.

"And ye say these things were shadow demons?"

"I think so. They weren't very nice whatever they were."

Kaede frowned, causing her brow to crease with more than just age lines. "How interesting. No miko could control shadow demons. Youkai can be subdued but to be sent out to fetch a person's blood would be too complex for one who is enslaved. My sister may have an accomplice."

"They were _not_ shadow demons," spoke up Sesshoumaru from his dark corner. "Shadow demons are weak and easily slain."

"Uber-shadow demons?" suggested Kagome, earning her a blank stare from both the demon and human. She huffed. "Never mind. German is lost on you guys."

"So it would seem," intoned the taiyoukai, slightly annoyed that the hanyou knew a part of academia better than he did. "But I am sure that whatever 'German' is, it was a ridiculous idea. Do not repeat it."

Kagome peered at the dog demon. "Fine. Then what do _you_ think they were?"

"This Sesshoumaru avoids speculation," he answered. "But they were not shadow demons."

The hanyou shrugged her acquiescence to his assertion. "Okay, but now it's really time to sleep."

She stood and stretched like a cat, doing a backbend to crack the joints along her spine. Then, before Kaede could retreat to her bedroom, Kagome took an extra blanket and curled into her corner, diagonal from the dog demon.

The old miko covered the fire with ashes, so that the embers would remain warm and dry for another day and then retired to bed, leaving the demon and hanyou alone in the dark.

"Goodnight, Sesshoumaru," whispered Kagome as she tucked the covers in around her body.

Unsurprisingly, she only received a small 'hmm' in return.

Only the stars and moon gave off light now, but it was more than enough for the dog hanyou to see by. She watched the taiyoukai for a moment, watched as he shifted into a more comfortable position and seemingly fell asleep within moments.

She knew he was bluffing of course. After the attack, it was unlikely that he would be sleeping for a few nights in a row. She knew because she had done the same many times in the past six months, finally giving into slumber after a few days for the need of the dream world.

Not that she wanted to invite those nightmares to her head. They just _appeared_, much like everything else in her life. Inuyasha, her Feudal Era friends, Sesshoumaru, the Jewel, Washi. They all just seemed to spring out of nowhere to make her life complicated.

Her finger traced the linen wrapped around her hand. She made her life complicated enough as it was. She didn't need any help.

And yet here was another inconvenience. Sesshoumaru had reminded her of Inuyasha tonight. Not just once, but three times. When he came out to the well with that lame excuse about protecting his father's sword, when he saved her and then when he gave her the herb, pretending that it didn't matter.

Her eyes flew open. The herb. She _had_ smelled it before, on Inuyasha. Why hadn't she realized it before? Whenever he had acquired a new injury and yet was able to move, he would end up smelling like this.

But why wouldn't he tell anyone about it restorative properties? Surely, Kagome could have helped him heal faster with this if she had known.

Perhaps he didn't want her to know about the remedy. But why?

Her gaze traveled over to Sesshoumaru, who sat with his head slightly bowed. His silvery white hair draped over his shoulders and down the front of his burgundy silk clothing. But in the limited light, only his hair, skin and tail stood out, making him look like a strange, beautiful creature that was not of this earth.

_He_ had told Inuyasha about this herb. That was why the male hanyou disliked people knowing about it. A trick that his hated older brother had taught him was not a trick to be remembered willingly.

It made sense to Kagome anyway. The thing about it that just tickled her was that Sesshoumaru had now taught it to _her_. He certainly had a way of keeping the 'filthy' hanyou race alive.

His breathing had evened out, growing deep and slow. It would fool anyone who didn't know him and his tricks.

Kagura was right. He _was_ handsome and deadly. A dangerous combination for anyone who didn't handle the situation correctly.

If she wanted to travel with him, she would have to learn how to handle him. His moods, his bloodlust, his pride. Everything. She didn't save him for nothing after all. They had a mission to do and she wouldn't let anything get in the way. Especially not the attitude of a pompous youkai.

Kagome smiled as she closed her eyes to sleep. A dangerous combination indeed, but one that she was determined to figure out.

_Without_ a subduing spell this time.

A/N: Whew! This was a really hard chapter to write. Possibly because I kept writing it in little chunks and therefore had to reread everything a million times before continuing. Anyway, I hope this pacified some of you – we have the beginnings of an actual relationship. Not a particularly loving one, but at not one based on hatred.

Hopefully, the next chapter will be out much quicker. I don't see why it wouldn't be. And on to the review responses!

Review responses removed due to ban


	8. The Journey to the West

A/N: I know, I know… late again. But I've been working a LOT (I'm constantly on call and have to pull 12 hour days…) On the other hand, this means I have money! Not that you all care. Haha… Okay really, here's your chapter. I'm sorry if it seems jumpy – it's really serving as a bridge between Kaede's village and Sess's palace so I had to touch on a lot of subjects.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 8: Journey to the West

He watched silently as the girl slipped deeper and deeper into sleep. Her red and black hair tumbled over her face, hiding everything except her closed eyes. At the moment, her breathing was light and unobtrusive, which was more than he could say for most of the village's inhabitants. Snoring had to be one of the most irritating of all human traits. The cacophony of noise from the human population, even asleep, reminded the taiyoukai strongly of why he did not usually venture into human settlements.

But soon, the nightmares would arrive and even the girl would begin to thrash and mumble, just as she had for the past two nights. And once again, it would interrupt his own rest. The only difference was that when she awoke the second morning, the hanyou did not seem to remember her horrible dreams.

Which of course, was _far_ more preferable to her falling down into his lap, slapping him and calling him by his brother's name.

The girl's breath hitched across the room, jarring him from his thoughts.

He blinked and looked over at the female hanyou again, sensing her peaceful sleep shift into the inevitable. Her eyes suddenly squeezed tightly shut and her hands grabbed at the blanket covering her body.

"Inuyasha…" she whispered in a despairing voice.

The taiyoukai rolled his eyes. Of all her garbled words during sleep, few were intelligible. Except that one. Inuyasha, Inuyasha, Inuyasha. His brother was all that the girl thought about. No wonder she still dreamt of his death.

Briefly, he considered the possibility that he was jealous of his younger, although deceased, sibling. Inuyasha had, after all, _two_ females that loved him. _Truly_ loved him, not the type of love that the taiyoukai was so used to receiving from his admirers. The two mikos cared for the male hanyou, just as he was. Not for his land, wealth, power, combat skills… or skills in the bedroom.

Although, the taiyoukai had to admit with a smirk that he enjoyed his good reputation in that last area.

But the others… they were _givens_. Every lord with half a brain and some gold had a decent chance of attracting hoards of giggling females. The taiyoukai doubted that they possessed any more intelligence than Jaken, but they certainly knew who held the power.

For a warrior, Sesshoumaru spent quite a lot of time avoiding irritating female youkai. He couldn't even slice too many of them into ribbons without harming a treaty or two.

Politics were so frustrating.

His brother didn't seem to have these problems, however. Inuyasha apparently had some other _quality_ about him that attracted two reasonably suitable women.

For humans, of course. Sesshoumaru sniffed in disgust and turned his head away from the girl.

_He_ would never stoop so low. He did not have the same faults as his father and brother. They _both_ died because of their human loves. Indirectly, perhaps, but there was no doubt that had not the human females interfered, Inuyasha and Inutaisho would still be living.

"Son," sighed Inutaisho. He threaded his claws through his long hair. "Someday you will understand. You will meet a female that you would do anything for and you won't care if you have to pay with your life." 

_"Ridiculous," answered Sesshoumaru, already over two hundred and yet still a baby compared to his elders. "No female should have that power over her mate."_

_The Lord of the Western Lands placed a heavy hand on his then only son's shoulder. "I don't know what to do with you, boy. How did you come up with these crazy ideas? I know that neither your mother nor I taught you these things. Your new step-mother does not agree with these ideals either."_

_Sesshoumaru suppressed the urge to scowl at the mention of his father's newest love interest. He already didn't like that human female's scent defiling the mansion. "You yourself once said that the best warriors learn their most important lessons on their own, Father."_

_The dog demon laughed at his child's serious expression. "Indeed I did, Sesshoumaru, but love is not a battle."_

_"Forgive me, Father, but I disagree."_

_Inutaisho nodded and winked at his son. "Somehow I knew you would." He began to walk away, but paused and turned to face Sesshoumaru again. "Do you miss your mother?"_

_"I do not need anyone."_

_"That's not what I asked," the taiyoukai said sternly, silently warning his child that he still expected prompt, truthful answers in his household._

_The younger dog demon stared back at his father. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, he gave him a curt, single nod. It was the only time he would ever admit to it, even to his own flesh and blood._

_"Thought so," commented Inutaisho thoughtfully. "She's not coming back, you know."_

_"Father, I am not the child you believe I am. I know this."_

_"Ah… but you're still my son. You will always be my child, although perhaps not my only one."_

_Sesshoumaru frowned and peered straight into Inutaisho's laughing eyes. "Is the human pregnant?" he questioned._

_It was the taiyoukai's turn to frown. "She is not simply a human, Sesshoumaru. She is your stepmother and my mate. You will treat her as such. And yes, Izayoi is with child. Do not tell her, she doesn't know."_

That would explain why he hadn't caught the scent of a mother in the mansion, yet. She just recently conceived. He fought an odd temptation to shudder at the implication. "It will be a hanyou, a half-breed," Sesshoumaru finally gritted out through his teeth. 

_"And it will be your job to take care of him, in case anything should happen to me," answered Inutaisho immediately, clearly having expected this answer from his son. "Hanyou or not, the child is _my _child and _your _sibling. You have obligations and you will not shirk them. This baby will grow to be a great warrior, I can sense it."_

_"And you?" Sesshoumaru retorted hotly. "What will become of the great Western Lord, who has taken a human to bed and will have a mongrel?"_

_There was a pause, which Inutaisho used to calm his blood. He had known his choice of mate was not popular, but he had expected his own son to support him. That had clearly been foolish, but he was also certain that Sesshoumaru would change his mind in time. "I am no longer discussing this with you, son. You are being unreasonable." He closed the gap slightly between them. "I am going away for a short time. If I find anything amiss when I return, I will be _most _displeased."_

Sesshoumaru growled softly at the memory. His father had gone off to Totosai that day, to have the old codger forge Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga. When he had returned, everything was as it should have been.

But he still believed he had been right that day. No male should be willing to die for a female. And yet, his own father had gone out to defend his territory from Ryukotsusei, who had heard that the Western Lord had grown soft since taking a human mate. Inutaisho died for his mistake.

The new Western Lord, contrary to popular belief, did _not_ forsake his brother and stepmother. He most certainly did not throw them out on the street like commoners. He had taken Inuyasha under his proverbial wing and began to teach him the proper course of life for a demon of high birth. Academic, political and combat lessons, all provided by the Western Lord himself. After all, Inuyasha was his younger brother and his heir until, and if, Sesshoumaru provided a son to take care of the West.

Even after fifty years on the tree, the taiyoukai could see signs of his old training in Inuyasha's movements. Certain strokes of the Tetsusaiga, certain dodges and blocks. All of them came from the very brother the hanyou was fighting. If he had continued under Sesshoumaru's tutelage, he could have been a fine warrior, despite his inherited weaknesses as a half-breed.

But Izayoi had _chosen_ to leave with her boy after a few years under Sesshoumaru's roof. She said that Inuyasha needed to experience the human world for awhile and that she would bring him back for more instruction when he was a bit older.

Then, the wench had gone and _died_, as those frail humans were apt to do. By the time Sesshoumaru found Inuyasha six years later, his childhood lessons had completely vacated his brainless head. He hadn't even _recognized_ his older brother, even attacked him on sight. The taiyoukai had had to reintroduce himself while dodging Inuyasha's poorly planned assaults.

And to his utter amazement and irritation, the hanyou went on to revive his father's legacy. He found not one, but two human females, that easily ensnared him, thereby ensuring his death.

The fifty-four years after Inuyasha had been pinned to that tree was borrowed time, plain and simple. As soon as he had gotten himself entangled with humans, he was dead.

Sesshoumaru looked at the girl once again. She seemed to have settled down considerably, but a deep frown still lined her face and two claws were buried into the wood beneath her hand.

For such innocent, naïve looking creatures, they wreaked their fair share of havoc on the world. And his own life.

A soft sigh from the girl came to the taiyoukai's ears and he jerked his head up, briefly annoyed that he had allowed his attention to wander. The last thing he needed was the hanyou shrieking about his momentary lapse in concentration. But she slumbered on, oblivious to her companion's trip down memory lane.

The taiyoukai stood and brushed away the dirt that clung to his silk garments before pushing aside the mat and going outside.

Hundreds of crickets chirped as he watched the moon rise higher in the clouds. Over the past few hours, it had been washed in yellow.

His rational side told him that this was only because of the moon's light filtering through the atmosphere. The silvery orb really had not transformed to the color of brittle pages in an old book. There was no mystery behind a yellow moon.

But his inner, long suppressed, child reminded him of the tale of the yellow moon. It meant new beginnings, just as a red moon forebode endings. An ancient story linked it to a demon princess who ran away during the night to find her lover under the stars. Her father and her betrothed found out the young woman's infidelity and, in the demon way, tried to kill them for breaking an oath. The princess and her lover escaped under the yellow moon, supposedly with the help of the moon god, Tsuki-yomi.

Even as a child, Sesshoumaru had found it to be a ridiculous fairytale, meant to teach young youkai that sometimes love was worth all the pain. Clearly, he disagreed.

He stepped down onto the ground and began walking towards the God Tree and his brother's grave, completely unsure of why his feet had suddenly decided to take him in that particular direction.

Certainly, he had said his good-byes to his younger sibling long ago, when he had lost the path to a respectable demon life and again when he had been pinned to that accursed tree. After all, Sesshoumaru had no reason to think that Inuyasha would return to a proper way of living again after those events.

And he hadn't… but the taiyoukai really had no wish to rehash that in his mind again tonight.

No, it wasn't the _past_ that bothered the great demon, Sesshoumaru, at the moment. It was the _future_. A future that held a half-crazy half-demon, an orphaned eagle youkai, a myriad of problems in the West and even a possibly resurrected brother.

He climbed the hill to the God Tree, sharply aware that he was returning to the place that the female hanyou had been attacked. The air was quiet now though. It appeared that only the crickets had followed the taiyoukai up the incline and to the edge of Inuyasha's Forest.

Suddenly, Sesshoumaru stood before his brother's grave. Dirt was still threaded through the blades of grass, where the girl had thrown it up. A large mound a death-scented earth stood at the base of the desecration and the bright moonlight illuminated everything in sight.

For the first time, the taiyoukai looked at the small marker still deep in the ground at the base of the tree. "'Inuyasha. Don't worry anymore. Just rest,'" he read aloud. "Hn. What a ridiculous inscription."

He circled the grave, studying it from all sides, careful not to step upon the burial sites of the others. Ruthless was one thing, but no one could ever accuse him of being improper.

Coming to the head of the hole again, Sesshoumaru sighed and unwrapped his tail for the second time that night. Allowing it to pool behind his feet, he gently fell to his knees and began replacing the churned earth into its place, sweeping it in with his one hand. "It appears you have burdened _me_ with your troubles, little brother," he breathed as he worked. "The girl has somehow become my responsibility, since she clearly cannot take care of herself and she brings news of some mission that you normally would have taken care of. In your haphazard way, of course."

He fell silent and continued to transfer the earth into his brother's former resting place. Every few minutes, the taiyoukai would stop and listen for intruders, but it seemed as if he and his brother would get a few uninterrupted moments together.

"You are a fool, Inuyasha. Falling in love with humans," he commented with a disdainful air. "It was truly the key to your death."

Only the wind answered, howling suddenly as it whipped through the clearing.

Pushing back his stray hair, Sesshoumaru continued, "Father's faith in you was misplaced and misguided. I can only thank Kami that you were not the elder brother."

His voice and face were completely emotionless during his short, choppy speech, but the taiyoukai felt considerably better after speaking his mind. It was the closest thing to an undignified tirade he would get to.

He had now said his good-byes _and_ made peace with his brother's memory, in his own unique way.

Finally, after the gravesite was reasonably restored once again, Sesshoumaru sat back on his heels and stared down at his handiwork. If he recalled correctly, human families did this for the graves of loved ones. They cleaned it and made sure that it remained sacred. Strangely, this realization did not bother the taiyoukai. "I have repaired your burial grounds, little brother. But know that if the old miko is correct and you return to this existence, I _will_ kill you. For fifty-four years you have not belonged in this world and I will see to it that it remains that way."

Standing up, Sesshoumaru shook the loose dirt from his white fur and burgundy clothing and wrapped his tail around his shoulder once again.

Before he left, however, the taiyoukai felt the need to level with his brother, dead or not, about one part of their conversation. It simply was not in Sesshoumaru's nature to leave a grave with lies hanging over his head. "I do not completely hate your former mate, Inuyasha. She has certain qualities that I find quite companionable. Therefore, although I am under no obligation to do so, I will protect her. I promise you this one and only oath," he paused and took a large breath. "Kagome will not die under my care."

The girl's name sounded strange coming from his throat, but the taiyoukai ignored it and continued to stare at the grave marker, as if it were actually his brother.

Once, a very long time ago, even by demon standards, a claim like this would require witnesses and barbaric brawls. Females had not been very common, since they continually died in childbirth. To take a deceased relative's mate under your own wing created mass tension. It was seen as the "cheap" way of obtaining a mate, by stealing her from a dead man.

But, at present, the female demon population had grown considerably, much in thanks to a concurrent growth of healers within youkai communities. Sesshoumaru was not claiming the hanyou as a mate, but more as a ward.

He began to wander away from his work. A small smirk came to his features when he realized how indignant the girl would be if she learned of his oath to her dead lover.

"Sesshoumaru!" came a small cry.

His head snapped up to see the very girl he had been thinking of running up the hillside. He stopped and waited for her to pause in front of him.

After a few moments, she slowed down and gave him a playful glare. She had already changed into her exterminator's uniform. "There you are. I was _worried_ when I woke up and didn't find you in the hut," she admonished gently.

"You had no cause for alarm," he answered stoically, silently noting that the girl did not appear to remember her nightmare. If anything, she was in a _good _mood.

"Hmm, I guess," she said offhandedly. "We should really get going though. I want to get to your place by sundown."

"We have time." He looked up to the sky and was slightly surprised to see streams of red, yellow, orange and purple waving across the horizon. He had spent a considerable amount of time at his brother's graveside.

"Right." She leaned forward and grabbed his hand, curling her smaller fingers over and around his palm. Turning, the girl began to walk, pulling the taiyoukai behind her. "Come on, Washi is waiting for us and Kaede has some breakfast ready, although I'm sure you won't eat it."

Glancing down at their entwined hands, Sesshoumaru thought about the promise he had just made to his sibling about the young girl dragging him down the path. She was certainly brazen. No one had ever touched him without permission if they did not have a death wish. He decided to let this one go though.

"Why did you leave, anyway?" she asked as they picked their way down the hill, avoiding large stones and animal dens.

"You were having nightmares and it disturbed my meditation," he answered, bending the truth slightly. He had not tried to slip into his usual meditative state. The night had been too alive and Inuyasha's grave had been calling to him.

"Really? I don't remember it," Kagome said thoughtfully. "Which is odd, since I would expect to have one after yesterday's events. Especially those shadow things. _Those_ are practically living nightmares." She shuddered and flexed her free hand with the bandage wrapped around it. The herbal smell still hovered around her, slightly masking her natural mandarin scent.

"Does your injury still pain you?"

"No, it's fine. Kaede already changed the bandage and put on more of that stuff you gave her. By the way," she continued, flowing from one subject to another without pause, "Kaede looked at that pendant Izo was wearing. She didn't recognize it. So I think it must be demonic."

"Agreed."

Kagome dropped his hand as they neared the rice paddies, in which the villagers were already waist deep and picking out grains of their staple food.

They walked along the thin mound of dirt that separated the paddies and allowed travel into the village. "What _did_ you dream of?" asked Sesshoumaru, suddenly curious about what she remembered. Dreams were the window into reality, as it was said, after all.

"Of the first time Inuyasha admitted that he loved me," she answered immediately. The hanyou smiled as she recalled the dream, of how she and Inuyasha had been fighting about her safety in battle. Then, he had stopped in the middle of an angry tirade, had grabbed her hands and had confessed that losing her would be like dying. He _loved_ her, he had said. Then, he had kissed her, to the utter shock of the others. Even Shippo had been at a loss for words.

She sighed happily, bending down to pick a wildflower and twirling it between her forefinger and thumb.

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow as he noticed her eyes obtain a faraway look. Humans were such ridiculous romantics, something that she apparently had retained in her transformation. How unfortunate.

The strange pair finished their short hike in silence, eventually reaching Kaede's home on the outskirts of the village.

"Kagome! We have food for you! I helped cook it myself!" chirped the small eagle demon, as soon as the hanyou entered the hut.

The girl cast a glance around the fire, noting the strangely large mess around the fire. Kaede never prepared meals in such a chaotic way. She doubted that the orphan had been more help than hindrance, but she gave him a smile anyway. "I'm sure you did. Let's eat and then we really have to go."

Breakfast flew by quickly and within an hour, the two demons and hanyou were exiting the village, letting it fade into the distance.

Kagome wiped away a small tear. She hated leaving the old miko alone, despite the fact that they didn't quite see eye to eye anymore. But Kaede was a friend and partings were difficult.

Washi grabbed her hand. "Cheer up, Kagome. We're on our way to the West! Lord Sesshoumaru told me about it while we were hunting a couple days ago and it sounds great. I get to play with this little girl, Rin, all the time if I want."

A small smile graced her face and she briefly wondered why she tried to push away this child. "I know that you and Rin will get along great. Remember that she's human though. No claws."

He scowled. "I _know_. I'm not _stupid_, Kagome."

She laughed aloud. The eagle demon's face looked strikingly similar to Sota's when he tried to convince her that he would behave himself around her friends. "Sorry. I know you aren't, but I tend to worry about the kids around me."

Sesshoumaru listened to the pair chat idly as they treaded through the grass, scaring up grasshoppers and butterflies.

Clearly, the girl still suffered from insanity. Happy and laughing the day after discovering her dead lover's grave empty, probably by her most vicious enemy? The taiyoukai sighed in frustration.

The talking stopped. "Are you okay, Sesshoumaru?"

He decided to be blunt. "Your joyous attitude surprises me, so soon after a mental breakdown and troubling events," he responded coldly, keeping his eyes trained on the horizon.

She was quiet for a moment, but did not let go of Washi's hand. "I know what you mean, but I can't explain it. I'm happy today. I feel as if all will be right in the world. You say that I was having nightmares, but all I can remember is wonderful dreams of wonderful memories. It feels like a brand new beginning."

"The undead miko still walks this earth."

The girl shrugged. "We'll find her eventually. And by then, you will have taught me how to use this darn thing," she said, patting the hilt of Tetsusaiga.

"Hn," came the noncommittal answer. He watched a bee fly lazily in front of his face before batting it away. "Do you know who the miko's accomplice is?" he asked suddenly, recalling Kaede's words from the previous night.

"I… have an idea," Kagome murmured slowly.

Washi looked up at his adoptive mother. Her happiness hadn't faded, but a veil of secrecy definitely shrouded her eyes now. He wasn't sure Lord Sesshoumaru would get the answer he desired, even if he was taking advantage of her good mood.

Either way, he was beginning to look at Kagome and Sesshoumaru-sama's conversations as a new form of entertainment.

"Are you going to _share_ this idea, half-breed?" snapped the taiyoukai.

The hanyou slowed her pace and stared up into the blue sky, tracing the edges of the clouds with her eyes. "I didn't just sit around for six months, waiting to rescue you, Sesshoumaru," she muttered dreamily. "I followed every lead I could find on that new demon lord."

The inuyoukai frowned, not at all liking where her dialogue was headed. Naturally he suspected it before, but if the girl had some proof, this would be a difficult mission indeed.

"One rumor that I kept hearing was that a mysterious woman was frequently seen on battlefields wearing traditional miko garb. Some who had seen her ran from me."

"You _do_ bear a striking resemblance," noted the taiyoukai.

She nodded, having known this since the very first time she and Inuyasha had spoken. "Well, many came back when they realized that I wasn't followed by demons like the mysterious lady. I decided that I had to take my questions to the youkai population. They have rumor mills too."

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly, knowing that she spoke the truth. His life would be so much _easier_ if he didn't have to deal with ridiculous falsehoods roving around his court.

Kagome closed her eyes, letting her feet and Washi guide her safely across the fields. "I had to rough up several demons, but eventually, one admitted that he knew the name of the woman helping the demon lord. It was Kikyo. Further investigation revealed that she was indeed the same miko that plagued me for the last four years."

"Why did you not tell us sooner?"

Her eyes snapped open and she smiled at the dog demon's rigid back. "I knew you'd figure it out, Sess-chan."

"Do _not_ call me by that name, wench," he gritted out. He paused and took a breath. "This information would have been most helpful in determining the reason why the undead miko stole my brother's ashes. You were foolish not to disclose it."

"Kikyo is _my_ concern, Sesshoumaru," retorted Kagome, her voice gaining a bit of heat. "No one lays a hand on her until I'm finished sending her to the afterworld again."

The taiyoukai glanced over his shoulder to see her eyes burning with vengeful passion, despite an otherwise calm, happy visage. "If you plan to battle the undead miko, then it is _my_ concern as well."

She raised an eyebrow. "If you're talking about training me…" She trailed off to gauge his reaction.

The dog demon hesitated, not desiring to tell her about the promise he made to his dead brother. What _was_ it about this girl that caused him to make promises he did not want to keep?

A silky, evil voice answered for him, before he could collect his thoughts. "No Kagome, he's not talking about that at _all_."

Kagura stepped out of the trees to their right, close to Kagome. She smiled at the hanyou, but held her fan loosely. She had taken a chance by appearing now, before the taiyoukai and the eagle child, but she had to report to the miko before leaving. It left no choice. She didn't have time to follow them all day and wait for the hanyou to be alone.

Sesshoumaru growled, moving in front of the hanyou and Washi, flexing his claws.

"No, Sesshoumaru! Wait… please." Kagome stepped around the taiyoukai and faced him, placing her small hand on his wrist and prying it from Tokijin. "I didn't tell you before, but Kagura is a friend now."

His mind recalled the morning that he and Washi had hunted together and the scent of Naraku he had picked up. "You _lied_ to me, wench. You said you didn't know about any of Naraku's minions still living."

She smirked, infuriating the already annoyed taiyoukai. "Actually, I just said I didn't trust any of them."

Sesshoumaru glared, allowing true anger to filter through his golden eyes.

Kagome had to take a deep breath before turning her back on an irritated taiyoukai. She plastered a smile on her face when she saw Kagura again, who was waiting patiently for her attention. "So, what brings you here? It's only been a couple days, surely you haven't found anything yet?"

Kagura raised an eyebrow. "Of course I have. I've made contact with one of the demon lord's recruiters. He had _heard_ of me." She looked smug for a moment.

The hanyou suppressed the urge to laugh. Kagura had always been a bit full of herself. "Naturally, he had. You _were_ Naraku's incarnation after all." The mirthful light left her eyes. "Did you find out anything that we could use?"

"No, not really," admitted the wind sorceress. "But I've been invited to head up one of the rebellions in the South. We'll smash a few villages and that should get me closer to the inner circle. I probably won't be able to visit for quite some time. I am taking a risk even now."

"I understand, Kagura. Thank you for this." She lowered her voice. "There are shadow creatures lurking about so be careful. Also, Inuyasha's ashes were stolen recently, by Kikyo no less. See what you can discover about that."

The youkai's red eyes widened. "That is _most_ interesting. I thought that woman had died."

Kagome shook her head. "I knew she wasn't dead, but I didn't expect her to show up so soon, or even at all. That was kind of stupid of me, I guess."

Kagura locked her blood-red gaze onto the hanyou's brown eyes. "Yes, it was. You were not there when Kikyo offered to help Naraku, but I _was_. She spoke for a long time, laying out the crimes you and your mate had committed against her during the past four years. Finally, she told him that Inuyasha had chosen you over her, his first love. She wanted vengeance."

The young woman laughed softly at the bitter irony. "She sold us out and told Naraku where we were… all for being rejected." Her words were quiet, as if she was speaking to herself and had forgotten the others were there.

Washi wrapped his hand around hers, looking up with worry at his new mother, afraid that she would slip into insanity again.

But, instead, Kagome lifted her head and blinked away the tears that had been threatening to form. "I'll deal with Kikyo myself. I would just like some information about this demon she's working for before I go searching for her."

Sesshoumaru watched this exchange as his anger died and his interest was piqued. Yes, the girl had lied to him once again, but that was really no surprise. Especially if she had a camaraderie with the wind sorceress, who Kagome knew he detested.

But evidently, the two females knew of something else that happened on the day of the final battle between Inuyasha and Naraku. Their words hinted at it, but their actions spoke volumes. He was beginning to suspect that his brother had not died in the way Kagome had spoke of. Once again, she had probably danced around the edge of the truth, throwing in just enough facts to fool his nose and instinct.

She was an irritating soul and lucky to have enough amusing qualities that prevented him from going back on his promise.

Kagura laughed, breaking him out of his thoughts. "Kagome, you would go after Kikyo if she was harbored in the depths of hell."

"No. I'd let her stay there," answered the hanyou with a faint smile. "She deserves it."

"Indeed. But don't be rash, Kagome. She is a dangerous woman." The wind sorceress frowned and allowed a bit of despair to seep into her eyes. "Remember that she killed Kanna."

A flash of memory flooded Kagura's mind. She recalled the sacred arrow hitting her sister's mirror and shattering it into pieces moments before another one pierced the jar in which Naraku held Kanna's heart.

Kikyo had known just where to hit the soul-stealing youkai and had done it without mercy or regret. Afterwards, she had told Naraku that Kanna was disturbing her plans for Inuyasha and his friends. The spider hanyou, despite his attachment to his incarnation, had accepted the pathetic excuse and had allowed Kikyo to remain in the castle.

Kagura had spent many fruitless days and weeks trying to discover what possible reason Kikyo had for killing her elder sister. Only on the day of the final battle had she realized that Kanna had been a threat because Kikyo wanted to kill Kagome herself. Her sister was the only other creature on that battlefield that had the will and the power to make the living miko suffer physically.

The witch had no other reason other than bloodlust. Had she possessed a half-decent reason, Kagura was certain that she would also have died a quick, but painful, death at the tip of Kikyo's arrow.

"I remember what you told me," murmured the young miko. The wind sorceress had told her the story in their first meeting after the battle. It served as the proof of her hatred towards Naraku, but Kagome had also heard her animosity towards Kikyo in the tale. That was why she had given Kagura a second chance.

They had common ground, after all.

But whereas Kagura blamed Kanna's death on Naraku and his indifference, Kagome could not do the same for Inuyasha's demise. She _would_ hunt down the elder miko, her previous incarnation, and slit her throat.

The wind sorceress nodded and then caught Sesshoumaru's gaze. She smiled. "Well, you have your own demon lord to protect you now, don't you?"

Kagome blinked. "What?"

The red-eyed youkai shrugged. "I thought I would speak to you alone and went to Inuyasha's grave. But to my _surprise_, it wasn't you there at all. It was _Sesshoumaru_," she purred.

The taiyoukai's eyes snapped shut, the only visual clue of his extreme annoyance.

Kagome leaned forward. "What are you talking about, Kagura?"

"Didn't you know? Your handsome companion there has made a graveside promise to his brother. He won't let you die. He's going to _protect_ you."

The hanyou stared, open-mouthed for a moment. Kagura wasn't trying to be cruel, she was just being herself. That usually meant being blunt to the point of discomfort, a side effect of being Naraku's spawn. "You're kidding." She turned to the taiyoukai, who still had his eyes closed. "Who are you and what have you done with the Sesshoumaru I know?"

Golden eyes opened slowly. "I am still the Lord of the Western Lands."

She shook her head. "You know what I meant."

He fought the desire to sigh in frustration. "The female is not lying to you," he said finally.

The taiyoukai expected the hanyou to get angry and begin spouting off reasons that she didn't need any protection from him, but she surprised him once again. She smiled softly and bent her head. "Thanks, Sesshoumaru. That means a lot to me, knowing that I'm safe with you."

He looked over Kagome's head at Kagura, who gave him a knowing stare accompanied by a small grin. Silently, she promised to not repeat his other words, the words meant for Inuyasha's spirit alone. Kagome would never know that Sesshoumaru was willing to kill his younger brother if he returned to the land of the living.

Kagome scooped Washi up into her arms and bowed to Kagura. "Thank you for all you're doing. This means a lot to me."

Yet again the hanyou had managed to make the wind sorceress's words run dry from surprise. The girl was definitely growing on her. It was rather frightening. "Of course," she finally managed to say, slightly hoarse.

The young miko nodded. "We'll see each other soon, then."

Kagura recovered from her momentary lapse in concentration enough to say goodbye to Kagome, but asked to speak to the taiyoukai before they left.

The girl gave her a strange look but shrugged it off and went on ahead.

The wind sorceress waited patiently until the hanyou and her impressive hearing was out of range before glancing at the taiyoukai. When she finally did, Kagura found his golden orbs to be studying her intently.

She tried to ignore the fact that the youkai of her breeding dreams was standing two feet from her, but was fighting a losing battle. 'Speak!' her mind commanded. "Is she still having nightmares?" Kagura asked with a façade of a cool, collected manner.

"Yes, but she no longer remembers them," he responded, wondering why the wind sorceress was so willing to be near him. Five minutes ago, he had been ready to gut her. He would still, if it wouldn't bring Kagome's wrath upon his head. He rather _liked_ his canine hearing and knew that her screeching voice had the power to take it away.

"She seems happy."

"That is a new development."

"Well, it pleases me to hear it anyway. She's not bad, for a half-breed. She didn't kill me after the battle." Her red eyes slid away from his to watch Kagome's form grow smaller and smaller as she meandered away with the eagle demon.

He saw his window of opportunity and took it. "What happened after the half-breed saw her adopted son die at the hands of the undead miko?" he asked, almost forcefully.

She hesitated, aware that Kagome would never tell Sesshoumaru what happened that day and might not appreciate anyone telling the tale. But she also knew that the hanyou needed someone to understand the events after the battle to truly understand Kagome's shift in personality.

Tucking the fan into her obi, she began, "The male half-breed was furious when he saw that Kagome had been hurt and the fox demon was dead. So furious that he dealt the fatal blow to Naraku without realizing it. His anger fueled Tetsusaiga."

"Did he drop it?"

"No. He just ran to Kagome and carried her away. I followed because I knew that he wouldn't get far with his injuries. I saw him lay her down and then carry their friends one by one to the clearing. He was bleeding from many wounds."

Sesshoumaru recalled Kagome's description of the battle and her facial expressions as she told of her mate's death. "So he did die from his injuries?"

"Partly…" she answered slowly, quickly deciding that Kagome should have told him at least the truth. "When the girl woke up, Inuyasha gave her Tetsusaiga and the completed jewel. He told her that he had to go and kill Kikyo for revenge."

"For the son they had lost," the taiyoukai interrupted. "Not taking Tetsusaiga was foolish however. This Sesshoumaru finds it hard to believe that even his lowly brother could be so moronic."

Kagura shrugged, once again the indifferent red-eyed youkai. "He believed that he would not win without _giving up_ the sword."

The dog demon closed his eyes, feeling a weight crash down on his shoulders as he realized what his brother had done. To give up the sword with that many wounds and go willingly into battle meant that he would instantly turn into a full-fledged demon.

Inuyasha had not been able to kill the elder miko in his hanyou form, because of the painful history between them. He turned into a demon so that he would feel no remorse, no hesitance about killing his former lover.

And yet, his younger sibling had still failed.

A surge of anger swept through his body. No one of the dog demon clan should die at the hands of a mortal _girl_. It was humiliating, but at the same time Sesshoumaru felt something akin to sympathy for his brother. A miko's touch could be painful beyond words, like lightening streaking across your skin.

He really hadn't stood a chance.

"The undead miko purified him as a demon?" he asked to confirm his thoughts, his voice slightly heavier than usual.

Kagura nodded. "Kagome found him hours later and made her wish on the jewel. That's when I made my appearance and told her of the debt I owed to her for killing Naraku."

"Did she cry?"

His question startled the wind youkai, almost as much as it started the dog demon. They stared at each other, with only their widened eyes showing their shock.

Slowly, Kagura shook her head. "Not a tear. I will never understand human emotion."

Sesshoumaru looked away, blinking away his surprised expression and settling into his usual cool indifference. He remembered Inuyasha's mother and the day she heard the news of her mate's death, when Inuyasha was only five years old. She did not weep, she just grew very, very pale.

But eventually, her cries of mourning echoed through the entire mansion. The new Western Lord had to shut himself in his study, previously his father's, and immerse himself in paperwork to shut out the noise.

He doubted that Kagome had allowed herself to cry like that. Knowing the hanyou and her illogical mind, she probably blamed herself for what happened.

Kagura followed his line of vision to the hanyou. She was a pinpoint form against the sky, pacing along the crest of a small hill. "You should get back to her," she said quietly. "Be sure that you take your promise to heart and protect her."

"Kagome will come to no harm."

The wind sorceress closed her eyes. She had lost him. Somehow she knew it and accepted it in the same moment. He would have been an excellent father to any offspring, but he needed to fall in love with his mate, not just appreciate her for her talents on the battlefield.

A small smile graced her ruby lips. She wondered if _they_ knew that they were falling in love. She guessed that neither one had an inkling and it would be a long time before they would admit it. They were, after all, in the beginning stages where no one was supposed to realize what was happening. Kagura felt as if she had been given a vision by Kami-sama. Only that would explain how she knew this secret.

Discreetly, the wind sorceress took her leave of the taiyoukai, who had already begun to walk towards the hanyou and the eagle demon. 88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 So, I hope you liked the chapter and I hope it was worth the wait. Haha… probably not, but I tried, I really did. For those of you who followed me from _Golden Fire_ to _The Broken Miko_, you may recall that I was planning a concurrent story that was Kag/Inu and based on the fairy tale, "Thousandfurs". While I _will_ be doing this story, I _won't_ be doing it at the same as this one. Not yet anyway. Right now, my work schedule is too sporadic and demanding. As it is, I'm having a hard time finishing chapters for this story. But fear not! I won't abandon it. That's a promise. So stay tuned! There will be more plot development in the next chapter – as well as the introduction of Jaken, Rin and a few new characters. On to the review responses! Review responses removed due to ban. 


	9. Flight

A/N: So obviously, my plan for moving faster with these chapters isn't working too well. Unexpected business trips to Austin be damned! Well, I'll make it up to you… somehow (suggestions for my author groveling welcome). But I just want you guys to know that I really, really, REALLY appreciate everyone's patience with this fic. I guess I write faster during the school year, huh? Well, I'm trying! I promise!

And here's a note, so no matter how late I am, you won't worry – I am NOT giving up on this story. So stop worrying! _The Broken Miko_ will not be abandoned!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 9: Flight

Dusk was falling, but Sesshoumaru continued to keep his steady, fast pace across the fields of Japan. Kagome lagged behind with Washi holding her hand, to the point where she was almost pulling him along. Her demon blood allowed her to walk these many miles without getting winded, but her legs were getting rather tired, and she wanted some food.

"Can't we just make camp?" the girl spoke up, staring at the taiyoukai's white head of hair. "It'll be dark soon and we won't be able to see enough to make a fire."

Washi nodded in agreement, too exhausted to speak. Even with his hawk sight, he wouldn't be able to see much in the dark. Only owl youkai had that ability among the bird demons. As it was, Sesshoumaru was fading in and out as he passed through the shadows.

"My home is not far," answered the dog demon. "We will be there before the sun rises if we keep walking."

Kagome stopped dead, jerking the eagle child's arm a bit when he didn't notice in time. "By sunrise?" she snapped. "Are you insane? I'm not walking through the entire night and neither is the kid. We _need_ sleep and food."

"Luxuries," the taiyoukai said simply, pausing to turn and look at the hanyou. His golden eyes glowed like a cat's against the darkening sky. "You do not require anything at this moment except the safety of my home."

She looked up to the heavens, noticing the thick layer of clouds. There would be no stars tonight, perhaps not even a moon. "What about your transportation cloud? No stars mean that no one will see us, right?"

His eyes slid over her form to the eagle demon, who had sat down in the tall grass. His red face was noticeable even from the taiyoukai's position twenty feet away. Washi was obviously going to collapse soon if he didn't get some rest. He was just a child of some inattentive nobles, after all. He had no endurance or strength to speak of, something that Sesshoumaru intended to change when they returned to the castle.

"We shall see, when night falls," he finally stated. The dog demon nodded to Washi. "Come here and I shall carry you."

The demon child's face lit up in a happy, tired smile as he immediately got up and sprinted to the taiyoukai, using up the last bit of his energy.

Kagome watched in amazement as Sesshoumaru bent down and picked up the child with one arm, so that Washi was leaning against his soft tail on his shoulder. The boy closed his eyes, wrapping his small arms around the taiyoukai's neck.

"I could have carried him you know," said the girl when she finally found her voice again, walking forward to meet the male demons.

The taiyoukai raised his eyebrows. "I sincerely doubt that, half-breed. You appear as tired as the child. It is best that I carry him."

She reached out, letting her fingers brush the scab on Washi's forehead. It would be gone by tomorrow, most likely. It was surprising it had lasted this long. As Kagome watched the child sleep on the taiyoukai's shoulder, a sudden thought struck her. "Do you have any children of your _own_, Sesshoumaru?"

He fixed her with a piercing glare. "You know that I do not have a mate."

"That doesn't really stop things like that, does it?"

For a brief moment, he could not believe that she had the gall to say such a thing, but quickly reminded himself that this _was_ a former human he was talking with. "To have an illegitimate pup is dishonorable to my clan, since that pup could not properly take my place as Lord of the Western Lands. It would be cruel to the pup and my provinces."

Kagome shrugged, seemingly unaware of her keen ability to get under the taiyoukai's skin. "I was just wondering. This is, after all, the _second_ child I have seen you get attached to. I just thought you might like them because you have your own or something. It's an innocent enough question."

His expression told her that he didn't think it was all that innocent, but the demon said nothing.

They began to walk again, faster now that the boy was asleep and off the ground. Around them, fireflies began to blink on and off in the twilight. Kagome reached out and cupped one into her hands, looking through her fingers to see the soft yellow light of the insect. "Do kids in this era catch fireflies?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru glanced at her. "When Inuyasha was a child, I saw him doing such things, but I do not remember doing them myself."

"You were a very _serious_ child, weren't you?"

"I was _studious_ and _ambitious_," he retorted.

"So, you were serious," she answered, cracking a smile. "Much _too_ serious, from the sound of it. Didn't you have any fun at all?"

"I enjoyed my fighting exercises," the taiyoukai replied stiffly.

The smile morphed into a grin. "I'm sure you did, but didn't you do anything for _pure_ fun? Like, run around in the garden? Catch fireflies? Play fetch?" She let the last one slip as it entered her mind, and she had to cough to hide her laughter.

"Play… fetch?" His eyes were suspicious, but also slightly confused, telling Kagome that he knew she had teased him, but didn't know what it meant. How would obtaining an object have anything to do with 'play'?

"Never mind," she said, still smiling broadly.

A short silence settled upon them, as the sky deepened from dark red, to purple to blue. They were facing the brightest part of the horizon, where the sun had dipped below the land. Behind them, night crept up towards the pinnacle of the heavens, although the stars were still hidden by clouds.

Out of the corner of his eye, the taiyoukai became aware of the hanyou opening and closing her mouth, slowly and deliberately, as if she wanted to say something but had thought better of it.

"If you continue to do that, you will only succeed in swallowing an insect," observed Sesshoumaru. "If you have something to say, say it without hesitation. That is your first lesson in the art of war, which I would imagine you still would like to learn."

Kagome nodded, with a faraway look in her brown eyes. "I would. I mean, I have to, don't I? Kikyo and this new master of hers aren't going to be easy foes to defeat."

"Agreed."

Her crimson ears twitched. "Actually, that's what I was going to ask about," she said, voluntarily steering the subject back on course. "When Kagura said that you were going to protect me… What exactly does that entail?"

He had been considering this question since that morning, when he had made the promise to Inuyasha's empty grave, so he had an answer ready. "You will return to the castle with me and the child. In exchange for fighting lessons, you will tutor Rin and Washi." He looked at her sharply. "You can read?"

"Of course!" she said, slightly indignant. "I learned all sorts of things in my era. Math, science, geography, history, literature, foreign language…" She trailed off, trying to remember her other subjects. She had graduated from high school and had passed all the necessary tests, but she hadn't even bothered to apply to college. No school involvement and average grades wouldn't get her into anything except community universities. And at that point, Inuyasha had admitted his love for her, making it pointless to waste more time in modern era schooling.

The taiyoukai nodded. "Acceptable. You will have my library at your disposal should you need reference materials. And Jaken will assist when possible, since he has been Rin's tutor in the past."

She smiled, imagining the impatient toad and hyper little girl locked in a library together for hours on end. No wonder the old imp was so irritable. "Well, that all sounds pretty good. Anything else?"

Sesshoumaru nodded once more. "I will not allow you to perish of unnatural causes under my watch. You will be permitted to stay in my home and live as a honored guest, but if one of several conditions arise, you must leave."

"Conditions?"

It was his turn to keep the girl in the dark. "We will discuss the conditions later, since they will likely not arise soon." A thought crossed his mind and he amended his previous statement. "However, if I obtain a mate in the near future and she does not wish to have a half-breed in the household, you will vacate my home."

A red and black eyebrow arched at this. "I would never have imagined that coming from you, Sesshoumaru. Already giving in to the old ball and chain?"

He gave her a questioning look.

"You're already whipped," she rephrased.

"No one but Inuyasha and Naraku has seriously injured this Sesshoumaru in many, many years. Certainly not a female."

Kagome covered her face with her hands. "No, no. I meant that you're already under your wife's thumb. Seriously, Sesshoumaru… _context_. Look it up."

The taiyoukai glared at her. "Your moronic colloquialisms have no bearing in my life. And no female has an Inutaisho 'under her thumb'."

She was getting increasingly frustrated with him. "Then why would you kick me out just if some mate of yours said so?"

"I must have an _heir_," he answered vehemently. "Since my brother went off and got himself _killed_, I am the last of the Inutaisho line. A female who is angry will not allow any _advances_ on my part."

"So who's the lucky lady?" asked Kagome.

He shook his head slightly. "No one. I have not made my decision yet. There are many females in my court of child-bearing age, but not many who would… _suit my tastes_."

Another knowing smile spread across her face, the tips of her fangs pointing out. "So, in other words, a girl that won't annoy you half to death and will leave you alone when you want to be left alone and won't leave when you want attention?"

"Yes, so _you_ are out of the running completely," he remarked.

She put a hand on her chest. "Why, Sesshoumaru, I'm _shocked_. To think that I was even in the running _at all_… That's an insult to your dog demon heritage!"

"I was being sarcastic, half-…" he trailed off when he caught sight of her face. It was twisted into an expression of mockery. "Hn," he finished with a noncommital tone.

The hanyou, however, immediately pounced upon his wording. "You were sarcastic, Sesshoumaru? About me being out of the running? Does that mean, I'm _in_?"

He shot her a sharp glance and she laughed, unable to keep a straight face at his obvious annoyance.

She waved her hands in front of her, as if she were warding off flies. "Sorry, sorry… We just haven't had a good fight in the last six seconds, so I thought we were _quite_ overdue." She became serious. "Really, though, how many women are you considering? I don't want to leave the kiddo in some big brawl of potential mates."

"The child will be fine," he said in a flat tone.

The taiyoukai was more than aware of what could happen when one of the four lords declared the desire to mate, however. Palaces had been demolished, lands had been scorched, and many demons, both male and female, had been killed.

His own ancestor had been the one to structure the system of courtiers and lesser lords. Before the dog demon clan had taken charge with three other clans, the land had been chaos. It was a mishmash of territory, held by several youkai who claimed to be lord, king or emperor of their realms. The dog demons held much of the West, while the lizards held the South, the bears held the East and the celestials held the North.

The four clans met secretly to carve up Japan into the four territories. They returned to their lands and then conquered what they had claimed at the secret council. To Sesshoumaru's knowledge, there had never been a major objection to this arrangement since those early days, until now of course, when a mysterious lord was spreading rebellion across the lands.

So many millenia of virtual peace and tranquility, only interrupted by the occasional clash at a border between clans. Despite their reputation, youkai were quite civilized. And yet, through all of this, mating still surged with primal instinct, causing both male and female youkai to become crazed in the process.

A fire demoness had ignited the former wolf prince's castle, right before Koga had taken the title. It was the reason his clan slept in a cave, despite his predominance over all the wolves of the territory.

Then there was the male snake demon whose poison had wiped out three fields of rice, forcing his clan to ask for rations from their enemies, the weasel youkai. It had been two hundred years ago, and the weasel demons _still_ held that over the snakes' heads.

So many incidents in so many places around Japan, it was no wonder that the humans feared and hated the youkai.

Sesshoumaru sighed, wondering if he would have to deal with too much of those foolish antics once he had announced his intention to acquire a mate. He knew that if his fan club was any indication, his infirmary and graveyard would soon be full.

Kagome stretched beside him and he remembered his moment of weakness in the forest, before she had gotten herself in trouble in the human village. He had, for the briefest of instances, considered her _attractive_.

Even now, the curves of her body…

He shook his head, resisting the urge to growl. Yes, he definitely needed to acquire a mate, or at least a very _distracting_ courtesan. Anything to purge these thoughts from his mind.

Before he could start considering prospects for his return to the West, a rancid smell hit his senses. Blood and death seemed to suddenly permeate the air, hanging in the atmosphere and clinging to any passerby.

The taiyoukai stopped, prompting the hanyou to look up at him. "What's wrong?"

"Can you not smell the scent of the dead?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes. "We're in what my history teacher called the Warring States Era. Of _course_ there's the smell of death everywhere."

"No," he said, his smooth voice lowering to a whisper. "This is not the human stench of mortality that constantly surrounds me and my kind. Nor was it a battle of any kind, either youkai or human. There is only one victim, a youkai, and I believe I know who it is."

Her eyes widened. "Oh… A friend of yours?"

"An employee," Sesshoumaru answered, taking note of her furrowed brows. "I shall find the body."

He moved to give Washi to her, but Kagome crossed her arms and leaned back. "No way. I'm going with you. I don't want to be saving your butt from some smelly dungeon again."

"Soon the smell will be overpowering," the taiyoukai observed, ignoring her obvious intended insult. "I have learned how to lower the level of this annoyance, but a half-breed does not possess that kind of control."

"I'll be the judge of that," she retorted walking forward several paces.

Sesshoumaru waited patiently for her slightly inferior sense of smell to kick in. Sure enough, two minutes later, Kagome ran back with a horrified expression and hurtled into the inu youkai's chest, burying her nose in the soft silk.

"That's disgusting," the girl said, her voice muffled.

He could feel her warm breath through the material, but ignored it. "It is one of my scouts, a skunk youkai. They are very rare in these lands, so I doubt you would have smelled anything so foul before, even if you _had_ encountered a dead body. It is the greatest weapon of the skunk demon, to be able to turn away enemies like that. It apparently did not work this time."

A pair of brown eyes peeked up at him, watering slightly from the pungent aroma. "We have to check it out, Sesshoumaru. Your scouts don't die everyday, do they?"

"No," the dog demon agreed. "Sen was one of my best spies. It would have been a difficult enemy indeed to bring him down."

Kagome leaned back from him and pinched her nose closed. "Let's go then," she said, sounding as if she suffered from a severe head cold.

They walked for at least a mile, such was the power of the smell and of the dog demons' noses. The hanyou had to keep switching hands to ward off the stench, but as they got closer, both hands clapped over her nose and mouth like a mask. She made a soft noise of disgust, her ears twitching when they picked up the noise of buzzing flies.

The body lay in a clearing so small that an outhouse could barely fit in it. Sesshoumaru's former spy was propped up against the tree trunk, his long hair matted with blood and dirt. His eyes were closed, as if he were asleep, but the flies discarded all notion of a innocent slumber in the woods. Kagome had to blink rapidly to keep from tearing up at the sight, and tried not to breathe in order to keep her lunch firmly in her stomach.

Unsurprisingly, his black hair had what looked like two wide streaks of white that started right at his temples. It was there that the crimson blood had stained his body the most. A powerful blow to the head had killed him quickly, but not after a good fight.

His claws were caked in the red sticky liquid as well and Kagome didn't need to uncover her nose to tell that it was the blood of his attackers.

"Sesshoumaru, look!" gasped the girl suddenly, using her foot to point to one of Sen's hands.

A pendant, identical to the one they had retrieved from Izo's neck was clenched firmly in the skunk youkai's grip. The hanyou doubted that a crowbar could free it from his grasp.

"So this lord has taken to battle to my own territory," reflected Sesshoumaru aloud, his tone even and calm, although his blood had started to boil. The fact that some upstart demon had entered his lands and taken the life of his best scout was abhorrent. Good employees were hard to come by, after all.

The blood underneath Sen's fingernails was crusty, but the dog demon could tell this had been the work of several youkai. Sen had not stood a chance, although it seemed as if he had given a good fight. Trees were splintered around them and the taiyoukai doubted that the attackers had all survived Sen's defenses, although their bodies were not present.

A soft gasp cam from the girl and he glanced sharply at her, as if she should have more respect for the dead.

She pointed to the eagle child passed out on the taiyoukai's shoulder. His face was mostly buried in Sesshoumaru's tail, his soft breathing the only sign of life. "I don't want him to see this," she wheezed.

"He will not, if you keep your voice low. Eagle demons have no sense of smell to speak of, if you recall. Not even this stench will awaken him."

"Right," the hanyou answered, lowering her eyes. "I remember now."

She lapsed into a reverent silence, trying not to stare at the dead body while Sesshoumaru examined it. After so many years in the Feudal Era, Kagome had seen her fair share of corpses. One of her very first battles, with Yura of the Hair, had taken her to a camp full of headless men. Inuyasha had asked her, somewhat mockingly, if she was scared, to which she firmly replied in the negative.

For some reason though, Sen's lifeless body terrified her. The thought of anyone murdering a youkai Sesshoumaru called 'one of his best' was almost inconceivable.

"Take the child," said the taiyoukai suddenly, deftly transferring the slumbering boy to Kagome's shoulder.

He crossed the clearing in one step and started to study the corpse in detail. Combing through his hair, clothes and the grass immediately surrounding Sen didn't produce any hints to the reason behind the murder or who had committed it. He paid special attention to Sen's hands, encrusted with the blood of his attackers.

Lifting one clawed hand in his own, Sesshoumaru sniffed. "Youkai did this, no doubt, but something is strange in their blood. Warped, as if there were another presence here that cannot be seen."

"The shadow creatures?" offered Kagome.

"Possible, but I will not conjecture at this time," he responded wisely, although his own mind had jumped to the same conclusion.

The girl watched as Sesshoumaru stood over the body and took a chunk of Sen's hair between his thumb and middle finger. He used his forefinger to slice off about five inches of the raven black and dove white hair.

"What're you doing?" asked Kagome, her eyes widening slightly as he tucked the lock of hair into a small pouch at his hip.

"It is custom," explained the dog demon, now used to her ignorance of youkai tradition. "When a male falls in battle, his commander takes a piece of his hair to the fallen male's mate. I shall deliver this to Sen's mate, Ruri, upon our return to the mansion."

She frowned. "He was married?"

"Mated, yes," sighed the taiyoukai.

"Does he have any children?"

"Sen and Ruri had no kits," informed Sesshoumaru. "They have only been mates for a very short time. Sen was only two hundred years old, quite young for kits."

"What about the body?" she asked, peering around the inuyoukai at Sen.

"Ruri may choose to leave it here, so that he may return to earth. Or she may choose to find it and bury it. It is her choice to make." He studied Kagome's face, now a mixture of detached mourning and genuine depression. "You worry for Ruri?"

"Of course," she answered, her voice hollow. "She's lost the man she loves, hasn't she?"

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Sen was not a noble, so it is possible that he mated for love. I am not so _attached_ to my employees to know the nature of their familial bonds."

She was still staring at the body. "Maybe you should get _attached_. It might help in the long run."

"You know nothing of managing a territory," he scoffed.

Her eyes finally moved to meet his and he was surprised to see an astonishing depth to them. "True, but I _do_ know how to make friends and you're certainly not doing it correctly. If you keep doing it this way, you won't need any mysterious lord to stir up rebellions. You'll be doing it quite well on your own."

He growled softly at her comments.

She shrugged, shifting Washi's weight to rest on her hip. "I'm just telling it like I see it, Sesshoumaru. It's your choice whether it comes true or not." She paused and licked her dry lips. The smell seemed not to affect her anymore and the taiyoukai suspected that he was seeing her human side tonight. "Either way, I think I'll visit Ruri when we get back. She could use a friend."

The inuyoukai looked skeptical for a moment, not believing that Ruri would accept any offers of friendship from a half-breed. "We will use my transportation cloud for the rest of the journey," he decided suddenly. "We cannot waste any more time now that the battle is within my borders."

Kagome resisted the urge to say 'I told you so', opting to just give a polite nod.

Sesshoumaru quickly conjured a small cloud beneath his feet, upon which the girl gently laid down the sleeping boy. She clambered on and they immediately began to float towards the cloudy, inky night sky.

A soft breeze blew back the hanyou's hair as they ascended, prompting her to tie it back into a messy bun. Once they began moving towards the West, she realized that the breeze was deceptive. They were travelling at an alarming rate, a rate that should create torrential winds.

She leaned over the edge and watched the trees blur into a dark green mass with patches of black, brown and blue where clearing and lakes stood. At this speed, they would probably reach Sesshoumaru's home before midnight.

Sitting back, she thought about what awaited her in the West. Kagome would like to be so naïve as to believe that all that was there were a few servants and Rin. But the realist within her told her that her struggles of being a half-breed were hardly over yet. She had survived the human reaction, now it was time for the flip side of that equation.

Her biggest fear was making a fool of herself. Not being liked… well, she could get used to that, even if it included a few death threats.

But to trip and fall flat on her face? Or say something idiotic?

'It is better for people to think you are a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt,' she silently chanted in her head. 'Just don't talk and you'll be fine.'

Even as she thought it, Kagome knew that it would never happen. She was much too talkative and she had been feeling more cheerful lately, which meant even _more_ chatter. She just hoped none of the youkai in Sesshoumaru's court would take a deadly offense to something she uttered.

A large yawn interrupted her thoughts, her hand flying up to cover her gaping mouth. "Wow, I'm really tired all of a sudden," she commented aloud.

Sesshoumaru looked down at her and said, "Then sleep." His golden eyes flickered around the horizon, watching for possible aerial dangers, but nothing threatened him at the moment. Only the smell of rain gave any indication of trouble, but it was hours away. They would be at the Western palace long before the skies opened up.

Next to his feet, Kagome was making herself comfortable on the downy soft cloud. Before they closed, her brown eyes peered up at him. "Aren't you going to rest?" she asked.

The taiyoukai blinked at her question. "I prefer to stand," he answered after a moment.

The hanyou shrugged and rolled over onto her stomach, placing an arm around the sleeping eagle child beside her. There wasn't a lot of room on the cloud and she didn't want him to fall off, even if he did have wings. "Goodnight, Sesshoumaru," she murmured.

"I will wake you shortly," came his version of a reply.

She smiled to herself and pressed her ear against the feathery cloud beneath her. A gentle thrumming sound pulsed through the cloud, echoing inside her canine ear. It took Kagome only moments to realize that it was a heartbeat.

Sesshoumaru's heartbeat, she decided quickly. The cloud was a part of his power, so that would make sense. She splayed her fingers over its surface, feeling a slight vibration accompanying each thrum of his heart.

Her eyes lazily shut while she listened to the dog demon's steady, calm pulse. She fell asleep, its beat following her into her dreams.

A light mist permeated the air, making her skin and clothes damp with tiny water droplets. The strong, steady sound of a heartbeat made it difficult to hear, but at the same time, was soothing as she moved through the cool atmosphere. 

_"Kagome?" called a voice._

_The heartbeat softened as Inuyasha came into view. He appeared as he had always been, with a smug smile and pure white hair. His ears twitched at the sight of her._

_"Inuyasha!" she cried, running into his arms._

_It felt wonderful to be embracing him once more. Even the coarse robe of the firerat didn't deter her from snuggling into his chest._

_"I missed you," she murmured._

_"I've missed you too, but why did you change, Kagome?"_

_Her brown eyes met his golden eyes. "What do you mean?"_

_He brushed his claws through her hair over where her human ears should have been. She stil appeared confused until he traced the edge of her new canine ears. "Oh! Those…" She grinned sheepishly and reached up to the crimson triangles, as if she had just remembered them. "That's nothing. I mean, that's everything. It means I can stay with you."_

_Inuyasha smiled and leaned forward to bury his nose in her hair. "Forever?"_

_The heartbeat, the only other sound besides their voices, gave one more feeble thrum and then died._

_Kagome didn't notice as she hugged her mate tightly, pressing her forehead against his. "Forever. A promise is a promise, Inuyasha."_

_"And what does this promise include?" he asked with a sly grin._

_"Me… Isn't that good enough?"_

_Instead of the expected response, the male hanyou pulled back with a frown on his face. "Of course it is, Kag…but I don't believe you."_

_"What are you talking about?"_

_He released himself from her arms and wandered around the area, keeping within sight. "I don't know," he finally murmured thoughtfully, as he made his way back towards the girl. "I just have this weird feeling that something's going to happen. Something's going to split us apart."_

_"Never," emphasized the girl, leaning into his arms once again. "I've chosen you."_

_Inuyasha nodded, but still appeared upset._

_Kagome sighed and blew her bangs out of her eyes. "What's wrong? Don't you believe me? Who would want to split us apart?" She eyed him suspiciously. "You aren't talking about Kikyo, are you?"_

_"No! It's someone else…"_

_"No one can tear us apart, Inu-chan."_

_"Not even someone who looks like me? Shares my blood and my heritage?" he asked severely, as if he was giving her a pop quiz in math._

_The girl frowned deeply. "Are you talking about Sesshoumaru?"_

_A single heartbeat echoed through the mist as Inuyasha nodded and turned away._

_She pressed her cheek against his back and put her clawed hands on his shoulders. "He's your brother, Inu-chan, so I saved him from that dungeon. You would have done the same thing, you know that. I haven't done anything wrong."_

_"He's dangerous. He could kill you without a thought. In a heartbeat."_

_She frowned. "I guess…"_

_He pivoted on his heel and wrapped his arms around her yet again, resting his head on top of hers. "I worry about you, Kag. You're in so much pain right now."_

_The girl sighed happily in his embrace, only half-listening to his words. She couldn't remember for the life of her why she should be anything but cheerful. She was with Inuyasha, after all. Nothing could go wrong with him around._

_"I love you," he murmured into her hair. "I couldn't bear to lose you."_

_"You never will," she answered. "I love you too."_

_Inuyasha pulled back slightly and moved her chin so that they were looking into each others' eyes. "It is Fate," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her._

She lifted herself onto her toes, to meet to his lips… 

"Wake up, half-breed!" snapped the taiyoukai, nudging her with his foot.

Her eyes opened and she sat up in a flash. "What? What's happening?"

The inky midnight sky stretched across her vision, with a lining of green where the trees were still a blur underneath them. She realized she was facing backwards when Sesshoumaru muttered, "We have arrived."

Kagome looked up at him and recoiled slightly at his icy gaze.

"What is the problem, half-breed?"

"Nothing, nothing," she lied, rubbing her upper arms for warmth. Her dream flooded back into her mind and she seemed to be able to remember every word, every touch that Inuyasha had given her. Including the warning about his brother, and the kiss that had never happened. Kagome almost growled at the memory of being interrupted. It had been her most realistic dream since Inuyasha had died.

She finally turned around to face forward, and immediately gasped.

"It's beautiful," the girl whispered in awe, as the cloud began to make its final descent into Sesshoumaru's home.

It appeared to be more like a small city than anything else. About eight large, classic Japanese-style mansions were situated within a large area of fenced in field. Each had enormous gardens that Kagome could see from the air, containing a variety of trees, shrubs and flowers.

The mansions had a collection of smaller buildings clustered around them, which Kagome rightly guessed to be servants' quarters, kitchens, training dojos, bathhouses and stables. The kitchens, separated from the main houses for protection against the spread of fires, all had smoke curling out of holes in the tops of the edifices.

"Is that a shrine?" the girl questioned suddenly, pointing to a small, central structure. It's two-tiered building surrounded by covered walkways in a reverent, auspicious design indicated that it must be a holy place. She could see several tiny ant-sized figures bustling around it.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Youkai worship the gods as well."

"And that?" She moved her attention to a large, low-lying complex outside the main walls, with a defensive wall of its own.

"My army's barracks and training grounds," he replied patiently.

"Why are there eight palaces?" she asked, still shocked by the grace of the Western lands headquarters.

"Seven are for the major families in my court. The eighth is my own," he answered.

For a moment, Kagome wondered which mansion was Sesshoumaru's, but quickly realized that would be a foolish question to ask. The largest palace sat in the back of the area on a bit of raised land, tucked neatly in the corner with the most expansive, exotic gardens encircling it. The vast quantities of bamboo and trees surrounding it almost hid the actual building from view, but she could see its carefully planned-out structure and graceful lines even from this high up. It appeared very peaceful and secluded, even when in such close proximity to other nobles' homes.

It was there that the cloud was floating towards, earning many shouts of surprise from the youkai below in the square around the shrine.

As they drew closer, Kagome could see why the palace suited Sesshoumaru so well. It was constructed of dark wood against white, creating a clean, solid appearance. The many-tiered roofs of all the buildings in the complex were tiled and upturned at the corners in typical Japanese fashion but otherwise unadorned.

"It's you," she said aloud. "Strong and impressive, but not so fancy you want to throw up. I like it."

He sent her a piercing glare, wondering how something that resembled a compliment could sound so foul. "You will stay inside the walls of the City of the West, unless you are with myself or Jaken."

She glanced around once more before the cloud lowered itself below the tree line. "Okay, I guess I can do that," the girl agreed, noticing the dozens of guards carrying deadly weapons atop the thick wall.

Sesshoumaru chalked her acquiesence up to the fact that she was still looking about her in wonderment. He doubted she had even listened to what he had said. "Wake the child," he ordered.

"Oh! I forgot!" she cried, turning to Washi and gently shaking him. "I guess he can fly up any time and see all that, can't he?"

"See what?" the eagle child muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Sesshoumaru's home," Kagome answered. "We're here. It's your home too now, I guess."

Washi jumped off the cloud as it touched down to the ground. "Where's Rin? I want to meet her and then we can explore, right, Kagome?"

The hanyou began to nod, but stopped when she heard the clatter of weapons and armor. Looking up, she saw dozens of soldiers running towards the three of them, with a little imp she recognized as Jaken scurrying behind. "Somehow, Washi, I don't think this is going to be a quick little hello," she muttered darkly.

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A/N: There you go! I hope it's satisfactory. If it isn't (no fluff or whatever), don't worry – I've outlined the entire story and I've put in LOTS of all that you guys have been asking for. Mainly fluff, but battles and fights and Washi and Kagura too. Fear not! The next chapter is coming… relatively soon I hope. Stop worrying!… No, I said, _stop_ worrying. Haha.

Review responses removed due to ban


	10. Sesshoumaru's Court

A/N: So as I write this, I'm realizing that I have to get up in 3 hours to go to Georgetown, Texas for a business trip. Then I have a business trip to Kilgore, Texas only four days after I return… THEN, I finally take the trip I actually want to go on to Peru… (Yes, that last one is a genuine vacation… much needed, I might add.) This means that the next few chapters will be very spaced out. As it is, this chapter is extremely late. I've been working til six everyday for much needed money. It's horribly depressing that I spend most of my summer in an office or a car. But that's okay, I just don't want you guys to feel that I've abandoned you in the next few weeks. This explanation kind of diverged into a rant… but what can you do? Haha. Well, feel free to complain, but kind, sympathetic reviews will be much better received! On to the chapter!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 10: Sesshoumaru's Court

Jaken scuttled across the pebbled walkway as fast as possible towards his long-absent lord. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" he squeaked, finally falling to his knees in front of the taiyoukai. "We were beginning to lose hope that you would _ever_ return!"

"Do you have so little faith in this Sesshoumaru?" the youkai asked stoically, turning his cold eyes down to the toad.

"N-n-no! But five months is a long time, Lord Sesshoumaru! We searched the battlefield for your body, sent scouts in every direction and inquired in all the territories. There was no trace of you nor any information!"

The Western Lord was silent a moment. "And yet this _girl_," he said in a dangerous, soft tone, "managed to find and release me from my prison only five days' travel from here."

The imp began to shake slightly, his large yellow eyes flickering over the hanyou standing next to his master. He yelped with surprise to see that it was the female that traveled with his lord's impertinent pup of a brother. "You're Inuyasha's wench!" he cried before he could stop himself.

Kagome rolled her eyes. "So I've been told," she murmured.

Sesshoumaru glared at his servant, quickly regaining his silent attention. "The girl is to be a guest in my home, Jaken. Provide her with a room in the Eastern wing and anything she might need, including clothing. Give the child a room near Rin's."

The turned his head to look at the small boy hanging onto the hanyou's hand. His clothes and face, grubby from long travel and months in a grimy cell, didn't seem to be anything like what Sesshoumaru would normally allow into his home. Jaken vaguely wondered what had occurred during his lord's absence.

"The _East _wing, my lord?" he asked hesitantly. That part of the palace was reserved for only the most distinguished of guests, those who had _personal_ or _highly_ important military relationships with Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru's pale, flawless face turned to his servant. "I do not repeat myself, Jaken."

The toad trembled. "Yes, my lord!" he squeaked. "I shall make the arrangements immediately."

"And I wish to speak to Ruri shortly. Have her wait in my study."

"Ruri, my lord? Sen's mate? In _your_ study?"

The inuyoukai gave his servant a piercing gaze for his astonishing lack of memory.

Jaken bowed his head. "Ruri, of course, my lord. No need to repeat yourself to this lowly Jaken."

Before he could spin on his heel and make his escape, the taiyoukai said, "After I talk with Ruri, you will return to discuss any significant events during my absence."

Jaken suppressed a sigh of defeat. He _really_ didn't want to tell his master _anything_ about what happened while the dog demon was away. For a seemingly stoic youkai, Sesshoumaru didn't take bad news well. And he was in for a lot of it. Even the _good_ news had negative aspects, which the taiyoukai would be sure to point out.

But there was no purpose in delaying it any more than he had to, so Jaken did as he was told and scampered off to make up the bedrooms for the hanyou and eagle child.

Sesshoumaru dismissed the troops that had gathered around their landing site with a gesture, then turned to look at Kagome and Washi. "Follow me closely. There are many in my home who will not be pleased to see you," he said, shooting a meaningful glance at the half-demon.

Before Kagome could reassure the now wide-eyed eagle youkai that there was no cause for concern, a shout echoed through the gardens.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" shrieked a young girl's voice, making all three demons flinch.

Rin appeared at the doorway into the mansion two hundred yards away and immediately broke into a run. Spread across her face was the biggest grin Kagome had ever seen.

In no time, the girl reached the taiyoukai and launched herself into his chest, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I missed you!" she said, beginning to cry from joy and relief. "Where did you go?"

Kagome noted silently that Rin no longer used the third person to talk about herself. She was still unusually short though, and she still had her lop-sided ponytail and shoeless feet. Washi was edging around her, trying to get his own look at the human child.

The taiyoukai put his hand on top of his ward's head while she sobbed into the fur of his tail. "Rin, stop crying."

She pulled away and dropped her eyes to the ground, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. "Sorry, but I have missed you, Sesshoumaru-sama. I have been very lonely. When you aren't here, the courtiers won't let their children play with me in the garden. Or anywhere else for that matter."

He frowned deeply. Rin would not lie to him, but he found it difficult to believe that anyone would go against his express wishes. Apparently, a talk with his nobility about obeying his word and law was in order. "Did you study your lessons?" he asked.

Her eyes lit up, although they still shone slightly from the wet of her tears. "Oh yes, Sesshoumaru-sama! The book you gave me before you left was wonderful! I enjoyed the poetry very much and the pictures were beautiful."

"I have many more like it," answered the taiyoukai, slightly surprised that she had delighted in a book of Japanese poetry. He had imagined that she would have just liked the fine artistry in it. She was becoming quite talented with her own brushwork and he had sought to give her some inspiration. He hoped that the miko had some skill, since Rin had already surpassed Jaken's feeble paintings.

"Jaken can show me where they are," replied Rin, "now that I have your permission."

"This Sesshoumaru has told you many times that this mansion is your home. You may go and do what you please."

She nodded. "I know, my lord, but it is very hard for me when the others _cannot_ go anywhere and do anything they please."

The inuyoukai placed his hand gently atop her dark head. Many of the youkai children (and their parents) were not allowed in certain parts of the complex, due to the fact that they were just long-term visitors. They had no true ties to the court and this made him exceedingly suspicious of their movements. Areas that concerned military or political agendas were strictly off-limits to anyone who did not live permanently within the castle walls. Evidently this had put a damper on his young ward's social life. "I have brought you a friend who _can_ wander with you, anywhere in the entire castle," he stated bluntly.

"He won't leave, then?" came her hopeful whisper.

"No, not if you do not wish it," answered Sesshoumaru, beckoning to Washi.

The eagle child came out from his hiding place behind Kagome's legs and walked a few paces towards the human girl. His wings rustled with his movements, rubbing together with an agitated rhythm. "Hello," he said softly, keeping his eyes to the ground.

Rin bowed, as she had been taught to do. "Good morning. I'm Rin, what's your name?"

"Washi."

She twiddled her fingers for a moment while the demon scuffed his feet along the ground.

Both adults watched with interest. "Rin," Kagome finally said, breaking the silence, "I will be teaching you and Washi your lessons from now on. Why don't you go and show Washi where the classroom is and what you've been working on. I'm sure he'd love to see that book you were discussing with Sesshoumaru-sama."

The taiyoukai raised an eyebrow, hearing her seriously use the honorific with his name and hoping that she wouldn't expect the same courtesy from him. He doubted he could call her 'sensei' without feeling slightly ill.

"What's the book about?" asked the eagle demon curiously, looking around at Rin.

"Cranes," she answered simply. "It's a poetry book about cranes. A couple are about other animals too"

"Birds?" he questioned, his voice raising a pitch in excitement. "Cranes are my cousins!" He spread his wings suddenly, letting the light from surrounding torches bounce off his glossy feathers.

She rushed forward, reaching out with her hand to touch his powerful wings, but stopped herself a few inches away. "Sorry," she mumbled, putting her arm down, although clearly with great difficulty. "I love birds so much though. I want to fly one day, like Sesshoumaru-sama."

Washi grinned broadly. "It's tiring, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. Eagle demons take great pride in our wings. We'd never let anyone hurt them!" he added emphatically. His eyes turned away from her face for a moment and a slight blush rose in his cheeks. "But, if you want, you can pet my wings."

Rin laughed softly as she extended her arm out and stroked down the edges of his feathery appendages. "So pretty," she murmured, letting her hand slide down the silky, strong wing.

"Maybe one day I'll be strong enough to carry you," suggested the boy, causing the girl's eyes to fill with excitement. "Then you can fly too, like you want."

Moments later, the pair were chattering away as if they had been friends their entire lives. Kagome took a second to marvel at the adaptive powers of children before she turned to look at the taiyoukai beside her.

"Shouldn't we go in? You have to tell that poor woman that her mate has died."

The dog demon nodded and began to move forward, only temporarily blocked by the children, who were now playing a quickly organized game of tag. The only difference being that Washi was flying around, just out of Rin's reach.

"No fair!" she complained, although her tone was quite happy. Rin was clearly pleased about the 'present' her lord had brought home.

"Washi, play nice," Kagome lightly admonished the boy as he sulked and floated down to the ground, immediately tagged by Rin. The hanyou laughed as his pout grew deeper and the young girl ran off. "Well? Chase her if you want. Try to herd her towards the house though, we have to go inside."

The adults walked slowly down the tree-lined avenue, allowing the two kids to play. Now that Washi was fixed to the ground, Rin was thoroughly beating him.

"What will you tell her?" asked the hanyou quietly, her eyes fixed on the little girl.

"That I was unavoidably detained," he answered. "She has no need to hear about the discomfort of my lodgings or the swill I was forced to ingest."

Kagome nodded. "She'll probably want to know more, but I agree that she does not need to hear the details. It would be too painful for her. She loves you a great deal, you know."

Sesshoumaru watched his ward, running from Washi back and forth over the straight, wide lane. "I am aware of it. I will be sure to find a mate who can tolerate a human's presence. She would not be able to cope with a lady who has no affection towards mankind."

The hanyou's mouth went dry, as if she had stuck cotton down her throat. She had never heard someone speak of finding a romantic partner like they would about picking out a melon from the supermarket. It offended her deeply, but she was concerned about another emotion mixed in. Jealousy? She shook her head. 'How ridiculous,' she thought. 'What reason do I have to be jealous of a woman who will end up with this creep?'

But then again, even the Inuyasha of her dream had said that he feared Sesshoumaru would capture her heart.

'Since when do I listen to my dreams?' she mused silently. 'This is ridiculous. I'm not in love with this arrogant taiyoukai and never will be. That's that.'

Forcing her dubious thoughts to keep quiet, Kagome looked up at the moon through the treetops. It seemed to stare down at her with an icy gaze, much like the dog demon did to her every day. It was only two days away from being full, a fact that the hanyou was painfully aware of. She would have to discuss her problem with the taiyoukai sometime.

But not tonight. Tonight she would settle into her room and go to sleep while Sesshoumaru concerned himself with the affairs of the castle and Ruri.

"You're letting the children stay up awfully late," she observed, suddenly realizing that it must be close to midnight.

The inuyoukai nodded once. "Demons prefer the night, especially in the relative safety of our own homes. Rin has become accustomed to our schedule and goes to sleep only when the moon has set."

"I see. Well, I'm not quite on that sort of schedule yet myself, so I think I'll go to sleep, if you just have one of the servants show me where I'm supposed to go."

They had reached the edge of the gardens that surrounded the mansion's base. Kagome noticed hundreds upon thousands of exotic and rare flowers growing with almost a wild appearance. It was quite charming and clearly meant for Rin's pleasure, since she immediately broke off the game of tag and began showing Washi her favorite flowers, including a purple iris, a forget-me-not and an orchid.

The taiyoukai paused and cast a sidelong glance at the miko. "My talk with Jaken will concern you as well. You _will_ be in attendance."

Kagome scowled at him, annoyed that he was right. "Fine, but what about Ruri? You don't want me there for that, do you?"

He smirked slightly. "You will be there to provide _female_ comfort."

"She doesn't even _know_ me."

"But you are a female."

"Good observation."

"And females tend to require someone of a more _compassionate_ nature than myself, when presented with bad tidings."

She scowled again, but nodded her assent as they stepped over the threshold into the castle.

As soon as she was fully inside, Kagome understood why Sesshoumaru had appeared so disturbed at the memory of his 'fan club'. Thirty young women were clustered around the doorway, waiting for the dog demon's entrance. The hanyou immediately spotted several signs of hasty preparation for the occasion; many of the girls had slightly tussled hair, off-center obis and minimal make-up.

She heard a small sigh escape Sesshoumaru's lips as he came inside with the children at his heels.

The women pressed forward with cries of "Sesshoumaru-sama!" "How good it is to see you alive and well, my lord!" "Please, my lord, come and sit with us in the throne room and tell us of your adventures!"

Kagome turned her face away and started to mime gagging herself, much to the delight of Washi and Rin, who had seen this sort of behavior many times before.

The dog demon held up his hand, earning complete silence within a fraction of a second. "I have business to attend to. I will hold an audience tomorrow morning for all the courtiers to have their questions answered."

'He's much nicer to them than he could be,' Kagome thought, watching the girls sulk. Obviously having the taiyoukai listening to their requests didn't include a few hundred other nobles. They wanted more _personal_ invitations, and the hanyou realized with a jolt that one of these females would get exactly that. The Western Lord was going to mate with one of these _insipid_ creatures, just because Inuyasha no longer lived and the West needed an heir.

A ridiculous reason to get married, in Kagome's opinion, but she was also aware that she had very different ideals than Sesshoumaru.

The taiyoukai turned to his left and began walking through the throng of females, not heeding their whimpers for attention.

Kagome had a much more difficult time of getting out. The girls closed in after the dog demon immediately and spun around to face her with hatred in their eyes and venom in their voices.

"So!" snapped one to her right with green hair and saffron eyes. "_What_ are you?" Her tiny nose started sniffing the air, no doubt impeded by the number of people with perfume present. Quickly, her eyes narrowed and Kagome knew that she didn't really have to answer the question. The female knew a hanyou when she smelled one.

"I'm busy, is what I am," Kagome snapped back with her acid tongue. "Now, move it."

The saffron-eyed demoness seemed to be the pushiest of the bunch, since many backed away at the hanyou's words. They didn't have swords by their sides and, like many noble females, they had filed down their lethal claws.

A blue-skinned female put her hand on the bossy one's upper arm. "Leave it, Machi. She came in with Lord Sesshoumaru and I'm sure he wouldn't want us to bother her."

Machi made a rude noise that sounded distinctly like an insult, but took a step back as well.

"Thank you," said the hanyou, her eyes still blazing towards the irritating female. She hurried through the crowd to catch up to the taiyoukai and the kids. Rin flashed her a big smile and Kagome knew that the little girl appreciated that a new fanatical female wouldn't be added to Sesshoumaru's fan club that particular day.

The taiyoukai shot her a glance out the corner of his eye. "You handled them well for the first time, half-breed."

"And you threw me to the wolves there!" she replied with vehemence.

A silver eyebrow arched. "Machi is an acid demon. Her personality is quite typical of that clan."

"Hmph. Any other _clans_ that I should be worrying about?"

"All of them," piped up Rin. "They're horrible, those women." She blushed as Sesshoumaru met her eyes. "Not that I would speak ill of the ladies in this city, my lord, but they do not like me and I don't think they deserve the Western Lands as their wedding present."

"Perhaps, Rin, but that it my decision to make."

"Yes, my lord," she replied, looking sullen at the thought of having one of them as her new lady.

They walked for a bit in silence and Kagome began taking in her surroundings.

The austere, classic exterior was repeated here, with straight, dark beams of wood crisscrossing over the ceiling, supporting the weight of the upper floors. It felt as if she were inside a well-conceived fortress, which, she reminded herself, the palace probably doubled as when necessary.

Unlike Izo's home, there were no adornments upon the walls, except the occasional simple mural of sakura blossoms or cranes or, most often, dog demons in their transformed state. All of these were done upon the finest rice paper Kagome had ever seen, lending depth and quality to the artwork that would surely disappear without its unique canvas.

They climbed two sets of stairs made of cherry wood, so smooth that the servants had put down thick carpet over the middle to prevent slipping.

At the top of the second flight, Sesshoumaru pushed open a pair of doors leading outside onto a covered walkway. Kagome went to the side as Washi flew out over the thirty-foot drop. Below them was a small grove of trees, alive with the breeze.

"This is pretty, Sesshoumaru," commented Kagome as she looked out over the city, clearly visible from their vantage point. Droplets of light scattered throughout the area lit up the place well enough for her to see the small moving shapes of various youkai as well as the enormous seven palaces that belonged to the other prominent families of the region. "Interesting architecture you have here though."

"A design I borrowed from a distant land," answered the taiyoukai. "I find that having only one entrance to my personal wing is quite beneficial. One can only reach my apartments through this manner. The two bottom floors of the Eastern wing have no stairs to the third and fourth."

He continued along the walkway, nodding to the guards standing on either side of the door on the far side.

Opening it, the dog demon led them into a short hallway with only six doors leading off of it and a small staircase to their immediate right.

"The fourth floor holds my study and personal library," said Sesshoumaru, answering the question he saw upon Kagome's lips. "My own chambers are at the end of the hall, with Rin's room to the left. The boy will take the room next to hers and you will take the bedroom to the right of my own."

She could have guessed which doors led to his own room without any help. The thick mahogany panels were impressively large, although again without any ornamentation.

Rin yawned beside her and she began to usher the children towards the rooms. "Come on, you two. Into bed."

The little girl bowed to her new sensei and her new friend and skipped off into her bedroom, but Washi insisted upon company into his new home.

Kagome allowed herself to be tugged along by the eagle demon and stepped into his room.

Her immediate thought was that she hoped her room was half as good as his was. Her second thought was that Sesshoumaru was positively committing a crime by secluding this room from public view and then giving it to a child who would probably ruin it within days.

A large futon stood in the center of the room as the focal point, covered with plush midnight blue linens and a daffodil yellow comforter. The walls were the same cherry as the stairs had been, but carved into delicate, intricate designs of flowers, birds and, of course, dog demons. The largest pawed at the ground above the futon, its eyes fixed upon the window at the far end of the room that was draped in thick blue silk.

To accessorize the room, a mahogany dresser leaned against the opposite wall and a small, low table accompanied the futon. A simple, elegant black chair and writing desk finished it off in the corner near the door, indicating that Jaken hadn't had enough time to make the room entirely child-friendly. Surely, toys and picture books would soon replace the writing desk.

"Well…" said the young woman, searching for words that would adequately describe the room, "I'm sure you'll be quite happy in here."

Washi ran and bounced upon his bed. "I like it. The dog is kinda scary though," he mentioned, pointing at the carving above the futon.

Kagome tilted her head. "I think it's supposed to be a guardian for when you sleep. See? It's watching the window. The dog demon will protect you."

"I thought Sesshoumaru-sama was supposed to do that," he replied, looking doubtful that a terrifying carving could be anything but the cause of nightmares.

"He will," assured the girl. "He's just two doors away and I'm right across the hall. Nothing will happen to you, I promise. Just think of the carving as a pet that you don't have to clean up after."

Washi laughed softly, nodded and started to root around in his dresser drawers. "Wow, that little toad guy put _everything_ in here. Pajamas, training outfits, formal kimonos, light yukatas, heavy yukatas and everything in between." He held up some green silk pajamas that matched his eyes. "I dunno if I could bear to wrinkle this up."

"I'm sure Jaken won't mind too much," said Kagome, knowing that she was lying through her teeth.

The boy disappeared into the connected bathroom, closing the door behind him. Within seconds, he was out, changed, and climbed into bed.

The hanyou ruffled his hair a bit and tucked him in. "You are getting a _bath_ tomorrow, kiddo. We probably both reek of travel and the road."

"Sure thing, Kagome," responded the boy, stifling a yawn. "We're home now, aren't we?"

"You are… We'll see what happens to me."

His large eyes fixed upon her face with a serious expression. "He'll let you stay, I know he will. He has to."

"Sesshoumaru is the Lord of the Western Lands, kiddo. He doesn't have to do anything," she answered, smoothing the sheets at the edges of the bed unnecessarily. She began to pick at a loose thread, avoiding the boy's gaze. "Goodnight, kiddo."

Standing up, she left the room quickly, extinguishing the candle on the way out.

Leaning against the closed door, she put her hand to her chest and felt her rapidly beating heart. Unsure of the exact reason, Kagome had felt a rush of fear when she told Washi that she had no control over her own destination in life.

"Half-breed?" asked the deep, calm voice of the taiyoukai.

She spun around to look at him, standing at the base of the stairs with a book in hand. "Yes?" she replied irritably.

He arched an eyebrow. "A scent of terror swept through the air and I decided to investigate, but I see that it was just you and your ridiculous human emotions."

"It wasn't _terror_," she bristled, "more like _apprehension_ or _anxiety_. You don't even know what I was thinking about, so I hardly think you should be making judgements on me and my so-called 'human emotions'."

"Hm," came the only reply as he turned on his heel to walk back up to his study. He paused on the third step and glanced at her with a shrewd light in his eyes. "I trust the children are in bed?"

"Of course."

"Then, come with me. Sen's mate will be here shortly and then Jaken will be making his report. Both are events that I wish you to be present for."

She nodded mutely and moved across the wooden floor quickly, listening to her footfalls on the bamboo mats. Not that she would admit it, but Kagome was quite eager to see the taiyoukai's study and library. She would be teaching the children there and if it was anywhere near as grand as Washi's room, which was usually meant for guests, it might become her heaven on earth.

The staircase was rather dark and cramped as it curled up to the top floor of the tower, its steep, narrow steps threatening to trip her. She silently thanked Kami that it was only about thirty paces. But when Kagome reached the landing at the top of the stairs, she lost her breath as if she had climbed a thousand steps.

The library was quite large for a personal collection, but she could see instantly that each volume had been carefully handpicked for its rarity, beauty or wealth of knowledge.

It was a roughly circular room, with twenty foot high shelving lining the walls, with the exception of the enormous bay windows on the opposite side of the room. The glass was so old that it had acquired that melted quality usually only seen in old European monasteries and palaces.

In front of the windows sat a long, low desk with several overstuffed cushions placed strategically around it. Like the rest of the house, the desk was solid and strong, and made of cherry. Papers were scattered artfully over it, including an alarming large pile near the left edge.

"All your paperwork from the last five months?" questioned Kagome, pointing to the stack.

"Unfortunately, yes. And these happen to be simply long-overlooked daily affairs. I have not received the documents for more _specialized_ events in my lands yet." He walked to the desk and placed the leather-bound book he was carrying down on the edge.

The hanyou wandered around the perimeter of the room, letting her hand brush the narrow, wooden ladders that allowed a curious reader to reach the top shelves without the use of youkai powers. Since the library spanned across the entire floor, long shelves jutted out at right angles from the main shelving, giving more room for texts. Kagome wandered in and out of these slowly, reading the titles she could decipher and admiring the ones she couldn't.

"So you can actually _read_ all these languages?" she asked, popping her head around one of the corners to peer at Sesshoumaru.

"Yes," he answered shortly, not even bothering to look up from his work.

She was about to boast that she recognized one of the languages as Russian, when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Jaken scuttled in, with a beautiful female following behind him. Her almond shaped eyes were the color of amethysts and her long, plaited hair was striped with black and white. Her skin, like Sesshoumaru's, was pale cream.

"Ruri, as you requested, Lord Sesshoumaru," he breathed before retreating to the darkest corner of the room.

Sesshoumaru put down his brush and finally raised his head. "Sit," he commanded, motioning to one of the cushions in front of his desk.

Ruri hesitated slightly. Kagome didn't blame her, knowing that the poor woman probably had no idea why she had been called into her mate's boss's office. The hanyou could tell that Ruri knew that whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

The taiyoukai reached into the pouch that rested on his waist and pulled out the lock of hair he had cut from Sen's head. Putting it down on the desk in front of Ruri, he turned his gaze to her. "Sen has died in my service. From what I could tell, he put up a valiant effort to resist his attackers. You should be proud of his accomplishments."

The young demoness turned a lighter shade of cream as she reached towards the snippet of her husband's hair. "Who… who did this?" she said, her voice barely a whisper.

"I have yet to determine that, although I have several possible leads," he answered.

Kagome frowned deeply, watching the female youkai try to absorb everything the dog demon had just told her. She remembered the day her father had died in the car crash, and the way the policeman had talked to her mother. He had been cold and reserved, just like Sesshoumaru was being at the moment. She supposed that it had something to do with detaching oneself from the case, so that every death didn't make one sick to their stomach.

But that didn't mean it was any comfort or help.

She was torn between staying put and going over to hug the demoness, who was now crying silently with her hands clutched around the piece of her mate that had been returned to her.

Sesshoumaru made the decision for her, beckoning to her with his clawed hand. "Take her down to her room," he ordered the hanyou, before turning to Ruri once more. "I regret the loss of Sen. He was a excellent soldier. You are welcome to remain in the barracks for as long you require." He said all of this very quickly, as if he had memorized it and just changed the names for each widow.

Kagome moved forward and gently took the girl by her elbow, forcing her to stand. "Come on, then… we'll get you down to your place, okay?"

The demoness pulled away, still sniffling. "Who are you?" she asked, her reddened eyes wide.

"I'm a guest of Sesshoumaru-sama's. My name is Kagome."

"A half-breed," Ruri said dully, as if she wasn't aware of her mouth moving.

"Um, yeah… I guess so," responded the hanyou, trying to resist rolling her eyes.

The skunk youkai regarded her with suspicion. "And what would you know about my mate's death?"

Kagome tried to usher her out of the room without answering the question, but Ruri recoiled and stared at her with a resolute expression. She was clearly not moving until she got a reply. "I was with Sesshoumaru-sama when he found your mate's body."

Ruri frowned deeply as her back stiffened.

"Really," Kagome urged softly, "we should go down to your room. You need some rest."

The young demoness fell into the hanyou's outstretched arm, hunching over slightly and allowing Kagome to guide her to the door.

"I'll be back shortly, Sesshoumaru-sama," said the miko, glancing over her shoulder with her dark eyes.

He simply nodded and went back to his work, while Jaken opened the heavy door for her and Ruri.

Silently, slowly, the pair of women made their way down the narrow staircase, through the guarded doors and across the bridge.

Once back inside the main part of the castle, Kagome hesitated. She had no clue where a scout's mate would be housed. "Um, which way?" she murmured, breaking the silence.

Ruri still had tear-stained cheeks, but the color was beginning to come back to her face, indicating that the initial shock was over. Kagome wisely predicted that a fresh batch of sobs were on their way. "Left," was all Ruri would say.

After five minutes of more relative silence, only punctuated by Ruri's terse directions, they began to descend another flight of stairs. When they reached the bottom, they were faced with a small landing a door, which Kagome promptly opened. The deafening sound of crickets and the clanging armor of the guards met their ears.

"You don't live in the house?" she asked, flattening back her ears.

Ruri turned her head to look at the hanyou for the first time since they had been in Sesshoumaru's study. "Of course not. My mate was in the army. We lived in the barracks."

Kagome hesitated for the second time that night. "I think that I should leave you here then. I am not allowed to leave the walls of the city." She wondered why Sesshoumaru would send her to the barracks if he had remembered his earlier order, but decided to err on the side of caution and not leave. She certainly didn't want to convey to any of his subjects that even a hanyou didn't follow his orders. After all, there were already riots and rebellions going on in his lands.

The skunk youkai gave her a questioning stare, but her amethyst eyes closed quickly in acceptance. "Of course. Sesshoumaru-sama would not allow such things again."

"Again?"

"It is not my place to say," replied the demoness, making Kagome immediately wish that _someone_ would go against Sesshoumaru's orders. "There is no use for rumors on this day. Thank you for escorting me, Kagome of the Hanyous."

Before the miko could ask again, or even point out that she was not a noble, Ruri was swallowed up by the dark night. A small, muffled sob pierced the inky blackness a few moments later.

Kagome sighed and trudged slowly back up to Sesshoumaru's study. "That was completely pointless," she huffed, feeling guilty that she hadn't walked Ruri to her home. "But he's such an idiot!" she said, her voice gaining volume. "Why would he send me out in the first place? If he had wanted me to not bother his work, he could've just left me downstairs. Unless he wanted to talk to Jaken alone and without any possible interruptions?"

This last thought struck her as _just_ the sort of thing Sesshoumaru would do; playing on her sympathies for Ruri to get her out of the wing.

She began to run towards the stairs, her feet pounding against the cool, dark wood. Taking the stairs two at a time and running across the bridge, through the door and up the spiral staircase, the hanyou made it to Sesshoumaru's door in under a minute.

She burst into his study, slightly red-faced from the exertion and adrenaline pumping through her veins. "So!" she blurted out, not able to say anything longer.

Jaken toppled over from his cushion in the alcove to her immediate left, while Sesshoumaru simply continued to write his answers to various dignitaries and clan leaders. "Yes, half-breed?" he said after a few moments' silence, setting down his brush.

Kagome flushed an even darker red. The imp had been half-asleep and the taiyoukai had made considerable headway through his pile of work. It was highly unlikely they had said more than two words to each other. "Um, never mind… I just thought…"

"That we would begin without you," finished the dog demon.

"Sorta."

Her sheepish grin caused Sesshoumaru's breath to hitch for an almost imperceptible moment, but he quickly cleared away the reaction. "You must learn to have a bit of faith in your allies."

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Why? You don't."

He stood up, pressing his hand against the smooth top of his desk to push himself up onto his feet. "True, but I have battle skills far superior to your own and it would be best if you learned to trust someone before allowing them to teach you how to fight."

Kagome couldn't quite figure out his logic, but nodded anyway. "But we're not here to talk about that," she said with a large yawn. "Let's get cracking, so I can get to bed."

The dog demon gave her a curt, single nod and beckoned to her and Jaken. He went to the farthest row of books and turned right behind it, where Kagome could not see. When she rounded the corner after him, she realized for the first time that the room was not _completely _circular. A rather narrow doorway led into a dark, cozy sitting room with several large cushions and a small fireplace at the far end. An end table with a bottle of sake and some cups indicated that this was Sesshoumaru's _true_ retreat from daily life. Kagome sagely deduced that he must have been expecting very bad news, considering he had led them into what her mother would have called his 'Zen place'.

Without waiting for Kagome to get settled, Sesshoumaru glared at Jaken and said, "Begin your report."

The imp began to shake violently and wrapped both hands around the Staff of Heads, as if he was trying to keep his balance. "You see, my lord, we have not been very efficient without you."

"_That_ is clear enough already," interrupted the taiyoukai, shooting a disdainful look back to his desk and its still high pile of unfinished work. "Tell us of what would concern the half-breed."

Jaken closed his eyes. "Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru. When you disappeared, as you know, we sent out many scouts. Most returned with no news at all, but a few had strange tales of a new lord that was stirring up trouble in the other territories. It was rumored that he had gathered together the riff-raff that captured you, my lord."

"I am aware of this."

"Of course you are, Lord Sesshoumaru," Jaken answered, his voice quivering. "You may not know that the Southern Lord died shortly after the battle and his son has now taken the throne. Unfortunately, he is not so willing to keep our treaties. At this very moment, many of his soldiers patrol the border between our lands, many more than have ever been seen there before. The new lord has joined forces with the Eastern bear clan as well. Only the Northern celestial have refused to do so, saying that they would not dare to anger the Western Lord."

The inuyoukai turned to Kagome. "I seem to recall that _all_ of the territories were having rebellions. Did you lie, half-breed? No territory could consider waging war against the West with civil disputes."

To the miko's surprise, Jaken answered for her. "No, my lord, she did not lie, although her information is a bit old. All four territories have had a rash of rebellions during your incarceration. It is only in recent weeks that the armies have mobilized against us. The South and East seem to not suffer from insurgents any longer."

"So, they've joined this mysterious lord then," concluded Kagome.

Sesshoumaru scowled, which looked obscene on his normally impassive face. "Not necessarily, half-breed. It is much more likely that they simply convinced the rebels that they could have a part of the Western Lands. The Southern and Eastern lords would have no qualms with using my absence as an excuse to invade the West."

"Well, they're kind of jackasses, aren't they?" hissed the girl, angry that anyone would try to kick someone while they're down.

"Indeed."

Jaken cleared his throat, clearly in his stride, now that he realized Sesshoumaru wouldn't be shooting the messenger. "As to the rebellions in our own territory, there are several documents about it on your desk, my lord. The generals have executed their plans most admirably however and continue to beat back the trouble-makers." He cleared his throat again, this time looking a bit more apprehensive again. "The real trouble lies in the activity of the tengu."

Both Sesshoumaru and Kagome's heads whipped up so fast that it appeared they would snap. "What do you mean?" breathed the hanyou, all too aware of the information she and Kagura had spoken of.

The toad shifted his weight from foot to foot. "They have successfully kidnapped several children, my lord. They… they tried to take Rin."

The taiyoukai was on his feet in a flash, towering over his servant.

Jaken trembled and cowered down against the floor. "They did not succeed, as you saw for yourself, my lord! She is fine! Ah-Un and myself, along with a few guards, chased them away."

"But you did not _kill_ them?" growled the taiyoukai. "So they can go back to their master and tell him of what they have seen and heard about my absence? You insolent little fool!"

"My lord! She is safe! They must have known about your long time away already, my lord, or they never would have attempted such a foolish plan! They would have known better than to face your wrath, Lord Sesshoumaru!"

"_When_ did this happen? _Where_? _How_?"

"At the edge of the gardens, my lord, during the change of the guard. Two swooped down out of the sky! They seemed to come from nowhere! Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it! Tengu do not have the power of invisibility, and yet there is no other explanation for their sudden appearance and their passage past the guards!"

Sesshoumaru seemed be trying to bore holes through Jaken's pathetic body with his stare, when Kagome jumped up. "The kids! There's only two guards watching over them right now!"

Without waiting, she sped out of the room and to the door of the library, banging down the stairs as if it were her own home.

Sliding to a stop in front of Washi's door, she tugged it open, allowing a sliver of light to fall upon the eagle child's sleeping form. He was there, safe and blissfully unaware. After Kagome had repeated the action with Rin, she finally breathed again.

"I would have sensed an intruder," growled the taiyoukai from the base of the stairs.

Kagome turned to face him, with a fire blazing in her eyes. "I was worried, okay? It happens. Would you put more guards around this place? I want to be able to sleep tonight."

Sesshoumaru glared at her for a moment, before nodding. "Jaken, go out and get ten more guards to stand in this hall."

"But… but, my lord… a guard has never entered the private living chambers of the Inutaisho and his most honored guests!" squeaked the toad.

"Jaken…" His firm tone was all that was needed to send the servant yelping out the doors and down to the barracks.

The inuyoukai turned back to Kagome. "Go to sleep. I will wait here until the guards arrive, but you require rest. We will have much to do tomorrow, including your lessons and the children's first lessons under your tutelage."

The hanyou suddenly felt as if she had run a marathon. "Yeah… okay," she murmured, trudging to her door, pulling it open, crossing the dark room and collapsing on the bed without taking off her clothes. "Okay," she murmured again as she sank into oblivion.

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There, I hope it didn't suck too much. It got to the point that I was just like "I need to finish this!", especially considering that I'm off to Kilgore and then Peru, and won't have much more than 2 days in between. I'll try, but no promises for when the next chapter is going to be posted. Thanks for your patience! Also… answers to reviews will be short tonight, as I'm about to collapse. (And is kinda screwy… so I'm sorry if names got mixed up…)

Review responses removed due to ban


	11. Lessons

A/N: I enjoyed Peru immensely and I'm now back and ready to write! Thanks for your patience during this break of mine – I really needed it! School starts soon and believe it or not, I'll probably be much quicker to update.

IMPORTANT: It appears that while I was away, some of my favorite fanfic authors have disappeared… I wish that would at least leave their bios… They had unfinished stories! Youkai Yume, theMaven and Nefra1 have gone away, leaving me with cliffhangers (although I did find theMaven on Information would be appreciated since I really want to finish these stories… Has anybody else disappeared that I should know about?

The Broken Miko

Chapter 11: Lessons

_She pulled away from the kiss, almost shy from the intensity he had invested into it. Her hands were settled flat against his chest, moving up and down with his rather ragged breath. "Thank you," Kagome said quietly._

_He nuzzled her hair and let his nose trace the edges of her crimson ears. "I love you," he whispered when his mouth drew level with the pink inner shell of the demonic attribute._

_"I love you too, Inuyasha." She sighed contentedly and moved to put her head down upon his shoulder, but he pulled away suddenly. "What? What's wrong?" The girl looked up into the face of her lover, who seemed to be apprehensive, his golden eyes darting around the small room they were in._

_"Someone's coming," was his reply._

_Kagome leaned back upon her heels and spread her arms. "This is my era, Inu-chan. Who could get me here? I'm safe. You're safe. Nothing to worry about."_

_Inuyasha shook his head violently, his white locks trembling with the force. "No, don't you hear that? Someone's coming to get you. And they don't belong here. They don't belong here at all."_

_Her forehead creased with concern. "Who? Naraku is dead, just like all your other enemies. The Jewel is gone, who else wants to fight you?"_

_"Lots of people, Kag," pointed out the red-robed hanyou, his own ears twitching with anxiety. "And this isn't about the Jewel, it's about you."_

_"I don't understand!" she cried, her voice rising to a higher pitch. She didn't like it when Inuyasha was nervous; it meant that they really had something to worry about._

_He whirled around and grabbed her upper arms roughly. "It's him, Kagome! It's Sesshoumaru. He's coming to take you away from me. Don't let him. Whatever happens, don't let him touch you or I'll lose you forever!"_

_"That's not possible, Inuyasha. He doesn't want me. He couldn't."_

_The male hanyou gathered the girl against his chest, squeezing her with the pressure that would kill a human. "Please, promise me. He's dangerous. He doesn't want us to be happy, Kag. He's going to take you away, trick you into believing his lies and deceptions. You can't let yourself be fooled! He's still the heartless bastard that tried to kill us all those times! He still hates me for taking his arm and our father's sword!"_

_Kagome began crying, her tears seeping through the robe of the fire rat. "I won't let him!"_

_Inuyasha made soft shushing noises, stroking her hair rather jerkily. "Don't worry. You can fight him. I know you can." He pulled away gently and peered out the window for a moment. Without turning back, he whispered. "Hide, Kagome. He's coming. I can sense him. Hide."_

_She didn't need to be told twice, as she threw open her bedroom door and sped down the hall to her mother's room. Flinging herself into the dark place, her hands searched for the closet, where the entrance to the attic was hidden._

_"Hide, Kagome!" screamed Inuyasha, his voice bouncing off the walls from her room. "He's getting closer!"_

_With a sound of terrified frustration, Kagome's hand closed around the closet door handle and she pulled it open._

_But instead of her mother's dresses and suits, the doorway opened into a dark forest. Menacing shadows crisscrossed across the ground, created by trees covered in decaying leaves. Without a second thought, Kagome ran through the doorway, hearing it shut behind her._

_Before she could go more than three steps, there was a knock at the door she had just closed. She froze, the hairs on her neck prickling._

"Half-breed! Wake yourself this instant!" Sesshoumaru's voice rang throughout the dark bedroom as Kagome opened her eyes.

Her heart was beating so fast she was certain the taiyoukai would be able to hear it from outside the door. She placed a hand to her chest, feeling her previous day's clothes clinging to her in a cold sweat. Her voice, cracked and dry, seemed to answer the dog demon of its own accord, "What do you want?"

The door opened, letting in a stream of light from the lanterns in the hall. Kagome quickly brought her hand up to block it from her sensitive eyes.

"What do you want?" she repeated.

Sesshoumaru frowned as he stood inside her doorway, dressed in his usual robes of pure white with the red sakura blossom pattern across the shoulder. He could tell by the stench that the girl had had another of her heart-stopping nightmares, but he certainly was not going to let that get in the way of his schedule. "It is morning and time to begin your lessons."

Kagome rolled over onto her stomach, grimacing slightly at the sensation of sweat-drenched cloth being pressed against her. "The kids can't be up yet. It's not even light outside."

The taiyoukai suppressed a sigh and stepped further into the room, closing the door behind him to prevent curious guards from eavesdropping. He crossed the room in the dark easily and threw open the curtains at the other end. The faint glimmer of pre-dawn light filtered in. "I was referring to your own lessons in swordsmanship and other fighting skills."

The girl shot up on the bed and gave the paned window a piercing glare. "Are you insane? It's dark outside."

"By the time you are ready, it will not be so dark," commented the dog demon stoically as he moved around the light the lanterns in her room. He hoped this wouldn't become a morning ritual of his. It was disturbing enough to see her tussled after a night of sleep in her clothes. He didn't want to imagine what people in her era wore for nighttime. An inner voice started to stir up an argument, but Sesshoumaru quickly quelled it by addressing the girl again. "Tomorrow, a servant will wake you and attend to your lanterns. I expect my staff to be treated with utmost respect. They are full demons and you…"

"Are a half-breed," she finished dully. "I know already. You don't have to remind me every second."

"I am simply reminding you of your station," he commented offhandedly, lighting the last of the lanterns.

Kagome rubbed at her eyes and groaned softly. "I wish I hadn't slept in my clothes."

"You will find new clothes in the wardrobe. Wear one of the training hakamas and bring whatever outfit you chose to don after our session. The bathhouse is next to the dojo."

The girl nodded and yawned widely. "Thanks, Sesshoumaru. I'll be out in the hall in two minutes." She stood up, wavering on her feet rather unsteadily while the taiyoukai watched with a wary eye. Leaning against the bedpost, she sighed. "This happens every time I travel. The next morning I'm a complete wreck."

The dog demon accepted this explanation with some reluctance. She hadn't looked at him since he had come inside, not even when he had given her ample opportunity to give him one of her trademark stares. The _window_ had been the only object to receive one this particular morning.

Meanwhile, Kagome was running her fingers over the carved post she had been using for support. "What the hell?" she murmured as she looked up towards the ceiling. "It looks like the bed is connected to the room."

"It is," he replied a bit scathingly. He had given her the most lavish quarters he possessed, aside from his own, and she hadn't even noticed? It was rather irritating.

Still, she didn't meet his eyes, opting instead to look around her room for the very first time. "It's… incredible. I can hardly describe it," she whispered.

The four posters of her bed reached up to the ceiling, flowing into as if it were made of a single piece of wood. The surface of the bed was carved into an extremely well-done replication of tree bark with vines growing up the columns, while the ceiling had hundreds of thousands of leaves upon it, connected by strong, solid branches.

"The bed is a tree," she said, walking around it and observing that the carved foliage radiated out from where she had slept all night. The backsplash of the bed, as well as the entire wall was carved to have the appearance of a forest, so light and cheerful that she could imagine the sunlight shining down through the leaves.

Turning around, she saw that the other three walls mimicked the first, but had additions of small, exquisite birds and flowers. It was all so incredibly intricate and detailed that Kagome couldn't imagine that it had taken any less than a decade to the room. Amazingly, it did not create sensory overload, which was perhaps the most charming aspect about it.

The whole room made her nearly forget about the dark and forbidding forest of her dream. "It's beautiful," she breathed, turning back to the patient Sesshoumaru. "How did you do it?"

The taiyoukai felt a small twinge of what might have been pleasure to hear that she was happy with her accommodations. "Thai artisans came to work here for a few years. The demons of that land are famous for their woodworking."

Kagome smiled, opting not to tell the arrogant youkai that, in the twenty-first century, humans had claimed dominance over that particular craft. "I should have known," she said softly. "It's teak wood. How gorgeous. But wouldn't have Rin preferred this room?"

"Her own quarters have walls covered with roses and other flowers. I assure you that she is pleased with her room and has no desire to change."

"You really worked hard on this wing, didn't you? I'm very impressed, I admit it."

The demon arched a silver eyebrow. "I built this wing for a specific purpose; to impress and intimidate important guests with my land's wealth and culture. I feel that I have succeeded."

The young woman finally turned her head to look at the Lord of the Western Lands. "Thank you so much, Sesshoumaru, for letting me stay here. I feel like a princess." She frowned slightly, causing a small crease to form between her eyebrows. "Go ahead, though. Tell me that I'm not a princess but a lowly half-breed."

"I was not going to say a word," responded the dog demon, amazed that he spoke the truth. He really hadn't been thinking anything of the sort. Had he really moved from hatred to indifference? It was a terrifying concept, one that he must fight.

Kagome eyed him suspiciously for a moment, nodded and turned to the plain teak wardrobe to find her clothes.

'She once had such trust in other living creatures,' Sesshoumaru mused. 'I do believe that naivete is returning to her. How quickly she changes from one mood to the next, but it has become considerably more tolerable of late. Surely her demon blood could not have settled so rapidly? Although I must admit I have never witnessed a transformation from human into half-breed.'

A cleared throat brought him out of his reverie to see that she was standing with her new training hakama gripped tightly in her slender, clawed hands. "Um, if you don't mind, I have to change. I'll be right out."

His eyes narrowed. "Do not take too long," he said as his parting words, swiftly opening the door and shutting it tightly behind him.

Much to his surprise, the girl emerged from her room only moments later, wearing her training hakama with Tetsusaiga at her side. She gave a cursory glance towards the ten guards that now stood in the hallway with their spears and then fixed her brown eyes on Sesshoumaru. "Okay, I'm ready for this torture you're going to put me through," she huffed. "You're really not going to take it easy on me are you?"

One of the guards next to Washi's room choked back a small laugh, his weapon shaking slightly against the wood floor, earning him a deadly glare from the taiyoukai. "Do not expect this Sesshoumaru to treat you any differently than my other students," he intoned.

They made their way down to the bottom floor of the castle quickly and silently, aware that most the residents were still fast asleep. The dojo itself sat near the northern wall in a secluded part of the grounds. Its long, low architecture would have provided plenty of room for an entire squadron, but not for Sesshoumaru in his transformed state, which Kagome was quick to point out.

"I am aware of the building's limitations, wench. My grandfather built this for my father, who also was not able to use it in his demon form. For such practice, I use the field outside of the city walls, or my army's dojo, which has plenty of room."

Kagome frowned. "Well, wouldn't your grandfather have known that his own son wouldn't fit? That doesn't make a lot of sense to me."

The Inutaisho sighed at his companion's lack of morning wit. She certainly was failing to amuse him so far. "It would have been a waste of space. Come wench, let us get started so I can be rid of you for the day."

"You're such a sweetheart, Sesshoumaru," responded the girl as they stepped inside the dojo, sarcasm lacing her voice.

As she quickly found out however, the training session was anything but sweet. She was not allowed to use Tetsusaiga, only a kendo sword made of oak. With this, Sesshoumaru put her through a series of kata, pre-set sequences to instill basic skills within her.

Unfortunately for Kagome, the taiyoukai was a ruthless teacher. Every movement was criticized, corrected and repeated more times than she could count. And unlike the movies that she had seen so often in her own era, he did not lay a hand on her, even to correct her most egregious mistakes. He performed the kata and she was expected to pick it up immediately from sight. There were no words exchanged except orders from the taiyoukai.

'Whatever happened to the gorgeous sensei and the dedicated student sexual chemistry?' she asked herself after three grueling hours of practice. Her arms felt like dead weights at her sides, despite her demon strength. 'Not that I want that from this creep, but it would be preferable to _that_ torture.'

Looking as calm and unruffled as usual, Sesshoumaru walked up to her. "You did a satisfactory job this morning, although I expect better tomorrow," he stated with a warning edge to his voice. "Go to the bathhouse down the path and clean up. The children will be waking shortly."

He turned back towards the rack on the wall with the swords hanging upon it. "What're you going to do?" asked Kagome, curiosity overwhelming her exhaustion.

"I will be going through my own morning routine."

Her eyes widened. "You mean, after all that, you're going to do more?"

A small smirk spread across his profile. "My skill exceeds your own, as you might have guessed, wench. I can go through the kata much more quickly than you can. I have much more to do for my training."

Kagome hesitated for a brief moment and settled her tired form down against the wall. "I would like to watch, if you don't mind."

Amber eyes turned to her brown ones, the barest hint of confusion evident. "You are years, even decades, behind my own skill. What can you possibly hope to learn from complicated sequences such as these?"

She crossed her arms and glared at him. "You would be surprised at what a fast learner I am. Besides, can't someone just enjoy good swordsmanship?"

Sesshoumaru carefully selected a light katana for his warm-up exercises while considering her question. "I have never heard anyone describe it that way," he admitted after a few moments. "I suppose that there is a certain aesthetic quality to good form in combat."

"Of course there is, Sesshoumaru," she answered, surprised he had never noticed it before. "How could you not realize that? I thought you were supposed to be intelligent."

He sent her a cold stare over his shoulder as he walked to the center of the practice mat. "I know far more than you will ever know, half-breed. As for my swordsmanship, I simply see it as a means to an end. With these skills, I can crush my enemies and protect my home. Lately, it appears as if this has become even a greater need. Now be quiet."

The dog demon began a series of movements so complex that Kagome could barely keep up. He appeared to be fighting an imaginary opponent of the greatest strength, speed and agility, but the young woman was certain that Sesshoumaru would still be winning. His movements were flawless.

She suddenly understood what made him so incredibly attractive to Kagura. His deadly tactics were seductive in a way she had never seen before, possibly because she was usually concerned with the safety of her friends. Either way, it was mesmerizing.

Shaking her head, she stood up. Two sexual thoughts about Sesshoumaru, serious or not, was not the way she wished to start a day. Quietly, she made her exit and breathed in the fresh air of the garden surrounding the dojo. "Well," she murmured, "that was a bit intense for my taste, and I was just sitting there. Perhaps my dreams are right. I should stay away from him."

Convincing herself that it would be wise to avoid superfluous contact with the brother of her dead mate, Kagome took a quick bath, dressed and hiked back up to the mansion at the top of the hill.

Two extremely lively children were waiting for her near the door in the back garden.

"Kagome!" they cried, racing forward to hug their teacher.

"Hi, kids," she answered, laughing softly and patting their heads. "I hope you don't think that this sort of behavior will get you out a few tests now and then."

They pulled away, looking extremely disappointed. Rin glanced over at Washi, giving him a 'I told you it wouldn't work' look.

The miko smiled down at them. "Come on, you two. Let's go and get started, so we can get something done before lunch. Rin, you'll need to show me where we'll be doing this."

"But Kagome, Sesshoumaru-sama told me that we would be studying in his private library. He had books from the main library taken up there for our use. History, literature, brush work and such subjects. He said that we would have less distractions in there."

Kagome hesitated a moment, wondering why on earth the taiyoukai would allow two children to invade his personal library for lessons that would no doubt be loud and distracting. Especially when he had all that work left to do.

"Kagome?"

The hanyou's head jerked upwards to see the little girl looking at her with a confused expression. She was certainly a darling child, even if she was only human in Sesshoumaru's eyes.

Kagome almost groaned aloud at her stupidity. How could she have been so blind, even if it was only for a few moments? Sesshoumaru did _not_ see Rin as 'only human'. She was practically his daughter, as his terrifying display of protectiveness had shown her the day before when Jaken had reported the attack of the tengu. _That_ was why Rin and Washi would have their lessons in the East wing, away from the main excitement of the castle's day-to-day events and close to Sesshoumaru himself.

She took each child by the hand and began to lead them into the house. "Well okay then, what shall we study today? I think history would be a good start. I was very good at history in my old home."

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The taiyoukai growled as he lowered Tokijin and glanced over at the light katana he had been using a couple hours ago. Perhaps he should return to that particular weapon, although he was just as frustrated with his performance earlier.

Five months in a dungeon wreaked havoc on one's technique.

Naturally he had gone through his daily exercises each day in the dungeon, the basic movements which were so necessary for proper combat tactics. He had gone through the yoga positions his father had forced him to learn when he was young, as well as the various martial arts sequences and he'd even gotten his long-neglected chi back into form.

But nothing, absolutely _nothing_, replaced a good sword when practicing combat sequences. And since he had been denied that luxury, his skills had all but withered away. It was aggravating to say the least. There was no doubt in his mind that some of his generals, even his brother or Naraku, could beat him in his present condition. The only comfort was that the only two of this group that _would_ fight him were _deceased_ and therefore unable to do so.

Unbidden, the image of an awe-struck hanyou came to his mind. _She_ certainly believed that no one could ever defeat the inuyoukai before her, and this came to have a rather calming effect on his mind. He had dumbfounded the girl twice in one morning, to the point of minimal speech. That certainly was an accomplishment.

Surely he should be disgusted at her lack of knowledge, of her not being aware of his horrible errors during the simple kata she had seen him perform. But the fact that she had not, and instead looked at him with an expression of complete and utter admiration stuck in his psyche, unwilling to let go of his mind.

He dropped Tokijin unceremoniously on the ground next to the wall, reminding himself that Jaken needed to clean it, as well as Tenseiga and his armor.

Perhaps he simply craved that sort of attention to his battle prowess that he had been starved of in the dungeon, but it was unlikely. Although he was extremely proud and arrogant male, which he was quite aware of, he had no need for such admirers. He had plenty of them up at the castle, each waiting her turn to be bedded by the demon lord with such a deadly force on the battlefield.

For once, he was completely at a loss, unaware of why the girl's attention pleased him so much.

Sighing, he collected his shoes and went outside into the midday sun, walking slowly towards his home atop the hill.

_"Why would a hanyou worry about a youkai?" he questioned._

_She turned her head away and began to color slightly. "It's not about a hanyou and a youkai. It's about friends."_

_"We are not friends."_

The red tint left her cheeks and she frowned. Poking him in the chest with the pad of her forefinger, she said, "You just saved me from creatures that could have easily killed me. I mean, the leader was kind of persistent, but you scared off the others. So I'm sorry. You have a friend now, whether or not you like it, buster." 

Had she meant it? Her behavior had not changed very much since the shadows' attack, but that meant nothing. 'Friend' was not a common word in demon circles, and certainly not around his own abode. He was ready to accept almost any lunacy that this particular female was apt to come up with.

But he was not so ready to accept anything more than rightful distaste for hanyous and humans. _That_ would never change and he sincerely hoped, for the wench's sake, that she did not ask for mercy towards his inferiors. Soldiers and nobles alike had been thrown out for much more mundane suggestions than that.

As Sesshoumaru approached the mansion, he comforted himself with the thought that although she had declared him a friend, he had never reciprocated. He owed her nothing, and she asked for nothing. He could be at ease with that.

His mind quickly shifted to subjects of a more mundane, political nature and, before he knew it, he was in the Eastern wing, climbing the stairs to his study.

Giggles echoed down the staircase to his sensitive ears and he let out a breath slowly as he considered his options. He could go up to his private library and deal with the children and hanyou, or he could retreat to another secluded part of the castle for the remainder of the day and ignore the alarmingly large pile of work upon his desk.

Being the practical demon he was, the answer was quite clear and he continued to ascend the stairs. Besides, he reasoned, the lessons would be conducted there until the threat to Rin had passed and he certainly couldn't avoid the room for that amount of time.

Upon opening the door, there were three gasps of surprise and three sets of eyes swiveled around to meet his own.

The two children and the girl were sitting around a small table Sesshoumaru had placed in the center of the study, books spread haphazardly across the surface like crisp white birds. Their expressions were startled, but not guilt-stricken, so the taiyoukai concluded they had not been involved in any serious mischief and made his way to his desk.

"I think it's time for lunch, kids," Kagome said briskly, breaking the silence once the dog demon had settled himself on his cushion. "Some food will help us focus." She stood up, the light blue yukata she had chosen clinging to the backs of her legs for a moment.

Sesshoumaru watched as the three prepared to go down to the main dining hall, when a thought struck him. "Wench," he called, stopping the miko in her tracks, "where is that pendant we took from the vassal, Izo?"

Kagome frowned in concentration. "It's in my bag I think. Do you need it right now?"

"I plan to give it to Jaken, so that he may study it and reveal its meaning. Retrieve it at once."

She scowled. "Would it kill you to say 'please' once in awhile?"

"Quite possibly," he retorted calmly, sifting through his papers.

"Then you really must try it," snapped the hanyou as she slipped through the door after the kids.

"What was that all about, Mama?" asked Washi when they met at the bottom of the stairs.

"Nothing important. Why don't you go along with a couple of the guards to the dining hall and I'll be right along. Apparently Sesshoumaru-sama needs the damn thing at this _very_ second," Kagome huffed, beckoning to two sentries for impromptu babysitting duty.

After watching the kids go across the bridge, she went into her room and fetched the pendant. Its smooth, flat back rested against the palm of her hand, the weight of the metal pressing into her flesh.

Kagome stared at it for a moment, tracing the rough, simple design with her clawed finger. "So I guess you're supposed to be the sign of evil," she murmured to the object, her brown eyes fixed upon the star. It danced in her vision for many long minutes, as she became transfixed.

She felt as if her mind was being pulled out of her body to another place with no light and no happiness. Screams echoed inside her head, alongside a low, cruel laugh. Someone was torturing thousands, perhaps millions, of people, and yet Kagome had no power to cry out for it to stop. Her head pounded in pain as the screams grew louder, joined by the sounds of arguments, battles and pitiful sobbing.

Then, a woman's voice added to the mix. Kikyo's. Even through the pain and disorientation, Kagome could recognize it, although she could not decipher the elder miko's words. She tried very hard to concentrate on Kikyo's voice through the din.

"_Inuyasha_…"

"Wench!"

Kagome's gave a startled gasp and looked up, the metal disc dropping from her fingertips and falling with a dull thud on the wooden floor. Shaking, she sat down on the edge of the bed, careful to keep her eyes away from the pendant.

The door opened and Sesshoumaru stepped inside. "It has been twenty minutes since…" he broke off and stared at the pale-skinned girl, covered in a thin film of sweat. "What has happened here? Why did you not return promptly to my study?"

The young miko drew her knees up underneath her chin and closed her eyes to steady her breathing. "The pendant…" she muttered at last, her voice thin and labored. "It's cursed or something. I looked at it and I could hear all this screaming and crying and horrible sounds. And I heard Kikyo. She said your brother's name. I think she knew I could hear her somehow. It was awful."

The taiyoukai walked briskly over to the spot where Izo's necklace lay and picked it up.

"What're you doing?" shrieked the girl. "That thing is dangerous!"

"Lower your voice, half-breed," ordered Sesshoumaru. He turned his golden eyes to the object in his hand and studied it intently for many minutes while Kagome looked on in horror. Finally, he raised his head. "You are delusional. It is simply a piece of metal, nothing more."

Kagome shook her head, her mouth open in silent protest. "No, you're wrong. I felt it, I heard it. It's not just metal, it sucked my mind into it!"

Icy eyes swept her huddled form. "And why should this Sesshoumaru believe a worthless half-breed? Especially one who has already experienced many troubles of the mind?"

"This wasn't one of them!" seethed the hanyou, color quickly returning to her face.

"Hn," came the only response, as the dog demon turned to leave the room. He paused, his claws upon the doorknob. "You will go down to lunch with the children and then continue their lessons afterwards until late afternoon. You will then report their progress to me and begin your own studies with the books in my library. You cannot teach if you are not learning at the same time."

"And _you_," she hissed, "cannot _listen_ if you're being a _jackass_ at the same time."

She received another icy stare. "I will not allow you to shirk your duties. Go to the dining hall at once."

Kagome picked herself up off the bed and exited the room, glaring at Sesshoumaru as she passed.

Ignoring the guards' curious stares, the hanyou quickly made her way down to the dining hall, using her sense of smell to lead her towards the food. As she walked, she noticed that the security throughout the entire mansion seemed to have been stepped up overnight. Guards roamed through the hallways, nodding their greetings to each other and the hanyou.

No less than six guards were stationed outside the door to the dining room, with at least three times that many around the perimeter of the large hall.

Washi and Rin were giggling and making a complete mess at one end of a long cherry wood table. "Kagome!" they both called, looking up to see their teacher at the same time.

She smiled at the pair and settled herself on the purple silk cushion at the head of the table, with a child on each side. They gave her a concerned look when they saw her face, but Kagome quickly hid her former anger with a grin. "Hi, you two. Wow, I'm starving! Pass the rice, please, Rin."

The children exchanged a silent, questioning glance, but passed the food down.

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Kagome pushed away her plate, unable to eat anything more. "That was a great meal. What was the occasion?" She waved her hand at the vast quantities of noodles, rice, sushi, tempura and a host of seafood dishes she had never seen before.

Rin gave her a curious stare. "No occasion, Kagome-san. We have seafood for lunch and beef and chicken for dinner every day here. Sometimes a few youkai join us, but most of them prefer to have their own demon food delivered to their rooms."

"You're kidding," sputtered the hanyou, nearly spitting out the tea she was drinking. "If I eat this much every day, I'll grow as big as a house!"

The children laughed at her eyes, wide with fright. "You are silly, Kagome-san!" chirped the little girl, before she turned serious. "But we're going to be late for our afternoon lesson. Sesshoumaru-sama does not tolerate tardiness."

At that moment, the door opened, allowing a young female youkai to slip into the room and begin to hover around the entryway. Kagome frowned slightly when she realized that it was the demon who had 'saved' her from the acid demoness, Machi, the night before. She seemed to be trying to catch the hanyou's gaze and looked extremely uncomfortable.

"Go on ahead, you two," Kagome said finally, keeping her eyes locked on the blue-skinned woman across the room. "I'm going to finish my tea."

The children scampered out and the demoness took her first opportunity to come closer. "My lady," she murmured, bowing from the waist.

"Don't be ridiculous," laughed the hanyou. "I'm about as noble as a barn cat. My name is Kagome and you can call me as such. Please sit down and have some tea."

The youkai sat down gracefully, tucking her legs beneath her body just as any true lady should. Kagome looked down with regret at her own Indian-style position and grimaced at the thought of what her mother would have to say about it.

"So," started Kagome, before an uncomfortable silence could settle in, "what's your name?"

"Oh, forgive my poor manners, Kagome-san. I am Nami, a representative of the water demons here at Lord Sesshoumaru's court." The blue-skinned beauty pushed back her turquoise-colored hair and Kagome mentally slapped herself for not realizing that the girl was part of the water youkai clan immediately.

The hanyou poured another cup of tea and watched the steam rise from the surface of the liquid as she spoke. "Hmm, well, is there something I can help you with, Nami-san?"

Nami bowed her head, closing her crystal blue eyes. "I wanted to thank you, Kagome-san, for helping Ruri after she received such terrible news. She is a close friend and I know how much it meant for her to have a comrade of Sesshoumaru-sama take an interest in her wellbeing. She would thank you herself, but she is travelling to retrieve her husband's body today."

Kagome blushed, making the red in her hair stand out even more than usual. "It was really nothing. I was glad to help. She probably would have preferred your company."

"Perhaps, but sometimes it is far easier to cry on the shoulder of a stranger than of a friend."

"I know how that can be."

The other female looked surprised for a moment. "Surely, one as young as yourself has not lost anyone?"

Inwardly, Kagome gave a small, sad smile at youkai naivete. She had experienced this reaction before in her travels before meeting Sesshoumaru. Most demons would not believe that a girl under twenty could be old enough to have lost anybody of importance in their lives. After all, demons really were not 'grown up' until far past that age. "I have lost many of my dearest friends," she said finally, her voice quiet, "including my intended mate."

Nami gave her a thoughtful, compassionate gaze. "Forgive my manners, Kagome-san, but you are not Lord Sesshoumaru's intended?"

The hanyou laughed, the sound bouncing off the walls of the cavernous room. "No, never. We have a common goal in battle, nothing more. Wherever did you get the idea that I was anything but his acquaintance?"

"You spoke with him as his equal, not an inferior. Not to mention that Sesshoumaru-sama _never_ brings women home from his travels. They usually go to him."

Kagome glanced at Nami out of the corner of her eye and smirked in a congenial fashion. "Like you, for instance?"

Nami had the grace to blush, knowing that Kagome was quite surprised that a well-mannered demoness would be so kind to a hanyou that was rumored to be Sesshoumaru's mate. "No, Kagome-san. I am afraid you are mistaken. I am here at court as a representative of my clan. It is my _mother's_ wish that I rise in status. Preferably to be Inutaisho's mate. I follow the letter, if not the sentiment, of her desires."

"Perfectly happy as you are? If you don't mind me asking that is, Nami-san." Kami, how she hated these formalities of starting a new friendship.

The water youkai shook her head slightly. "I do not deny that it would be _nice_ to have the opportunity to have such strong, healthy children as Sesshoumaru-sama could give to me, but it is not my life's goal. I have many other duties to attend to."

Kagome leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table. "Really? Like what? I have not heard Sesshoumaru-sama speak of what the clan representatives do around here."

"Councils mostly, but we try to learn from each other as well. My clan has benefited greatly from the knowledge in these cities."

The hanyou stood up very quickly, startling Nami quite badly. "Learning! I've just remembered that I should be giving lessons to the children. They've been waiting for quite some time now. I must go."

The demoness rose to her feet and bowed. "Of course, Kagome-san. We will talk more later, I hope?"

"Of course. I'll see you soon, Nami-san," breathed the hanyou before bowing and rushing out of the room.

She sped up three flights of stairs, across the bridge and up to the taiyoukai's study door before pausing to catch her breath. Pushing open the door, she tried to look unruffled as possible.

"You are late." The stern words of the taiyoukai seemed to echo in her ears.

Kagome gazed across the room at Sesshoumaru, sitting behind his desk and a new pile of paperwork. "Yes, I know. I'm sorry, but I was talking to Nami-san. She is a friend of Ruri-san and was updating me on her state of health," she said, fudging the facts slightly.

"Hm," he muttered, looking back down at his work. "And you find Nami to be a demon worthy of your attention?"

The hanyou frowned. "I'm not sure what you mean by that, but she seemed nice, yes. I would like to be able to talk to her again, if you don't insist upon locking me up here all day and night."

"You may have some time after you conclude the children's lessons and before you start your own studies this evening. You will also take your dinner in the hall and after that, you may do as you wish until you go to sleep." His brush moved with surprising speed during this little speech, but soon paused as he raised his head. "Today however, you will accompany me to the meeting with the court. They wish for answers about my absence. Continue your lesson until then."

Kagome sat down at the table with the children, who had been trying to seem as if they were absorbed in their books. "Well, let's work on our brushwork this afternoon, okay?" she suggested, pushing aside books and pulling out scrolls of parchment. "Then we'll start on geography. I'm sure that Sesshoumaru-sama has some maps around here."

The dog demon watched her from beneath his fringe of white-silver hair, as he feigned checking over the daily work roster.

She was quite pretty for a half-breed, with the midday sunlight filtering in to make her hair glow and shine with every movement. Graceful and powerful at the same time, Sesshoumaru had to admit that many males would gladly take her for their mate, hanyou or not.

These were thoughts he had had before though, and he nearly growled aloud as he realized that he was thinking of Kagome in a flattering way once again. He _truly_ needed a distraction, preferably in the form of an adoring female. It was quite easily arranged but, looking down at his pile of work, it would be at least another few nights before he would have the time for such self-indulgence.

Meanwhile, he had different things to worry about.

He glanced over at Jaken, hidden from Kagome and the children's view by a bookcase. The little toad was surrounded by books to discover what exactly the significance of Izo's pendant. Jaken had _not_ known off the top of his head, only muttering something about being 'darkly familiar' before plunging into Sesshoumaru's reference materials.

It was the first time in memory that Jaken had not immediately answered his master's call for knowledge. It was the first time in years that Jaken had had to crack a book for information. The imp knew every family in the entirety of Japan, not to mention quite a few in neighboring regions.

Perhaps this demon lord was foreign. _Very_ foreign, which was an unsettling thought. Foreign lords would have different tactics, different weapons, and different types of demons at their disposal. As well read as Sesshoumaru was, he was fairly certain that he would not be prepared against an attack from the far reaches of the world.

He had once seen a human male with dark blond hair and thick facial hair. He possessed a strange looking sword, with a wide, thick blade that was heavily curved. With it, he killed several human villagers in a small coastal province and had taken their goods and food. It was savage, and he was certain that Kagome would not have called his skills 'good swordsmanship'. But it was _effective_ and Sesshoumaru was almost frightened of these foreign men who could cow an entire village single handedly.

Then there were the scouts' reports from those who had returned at all. Strange tales of even stranger demons roaming the lands of the West and North. In the now estranged East and South Lands, these demons joined the local armies that were now prowling Sesshoumaru's borders, as if waiting for a grand signal from the heavens.

Even a few of the shadows that had attacked Kagome had been spotted, usually waist-deep in blood and gore of battlefields.

The demon lord controlled his men like phantoms. They would appear and disappear seemingly at will, letting no scout get too close of a look, which caused Sesshoumaru to wonder if these demons had access to some magic that Japan's youkai did not possess.

In all, there was only one certainty among the chaos. Sesshoumaru would _not_ back down and he would _not_ give up the Western Lands, even if it resulted in his death, along with every inhabitant of his kingdom. That was the only way the traitors would ever take his birthright.

The taiyoukai glanced up at the children, letting his eyes linger on Rin. 'Yes,' he savagely thought, 'her as well. They have to kill _all_ of us to take Inutaisho's land. If they have it, it will be nothing but a barren wasteland.'

"Lord Sesshoumaru," murmured Jaken at his elbow, shaking the taiyoukai from his dark thoughts, "it is time to address the court."

Kagome and the children looked up, their smiles fading when they caught a glimpse of Sesshoumaru's expression as he rose from his seat. The hanyou appeared to be slightly unsettled, not knowing what the taiyoukai would say and what he would leave out.

"They must know the truth," the dog demon said quietly, his golden eyes fixed upon Kagome's face. "Everything. They must be prepared."

The hanyou understood. He would tell his court about the death of his brother and the presence of a dangerous, dark miko named Kikyo. He would speak of his imprisonment and the demon lord that nobody saw. And he would talk of the shadows and the tengu and all the other dangers that now lurked inside and outside his borders.

He was still looking at her, giving her a piercing gaze much like the one he had given her when she was first telling him of Inuyasha's death. He was once again demanding that she be strong and not break down in front of him. She could _not_ cry. She would be proud of her mate's sacrifice and she would be demanding of revenge, as proper youkai etiquette stipulated.

"Okay," she said, her voice not quavering, although her eyes were a bit more misty than usual, "let's do this then. Let's get it over with."

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A/N: Whew! I hope you enjoyed it… it was extremely difficult to write, especially after a two-week break. I know it's a bit jumpy, but I felt the need to put Kagome into a routine. Anyway, the next couple of chapters have a lot of plot development (if it goes the way I want it to), so stay with me! Thanks for your patience! Well, on to the reviews… there were so many! Thanks so much!

Review responses removed due to ban


	12. Sesshoumaru's Troubles

A/N: Wow… you guys are gonna love me… That's all I'm going to say for now. evil laugh

The Broken Miko

Chapter 12: Sesshoumaru's Troubles

Kagome fidgeted, her fingers tying into knots and coming undone rapidly of their own volition. Her eyes wandered about the room, a grand hall that Sesshoumaru used for royal audiences and councils, such as this. Roughly two hundred youkai of all kinds were milling about, waiting for stragglers and the commencement of Sesshoumaru's speech. Nearly _all_ of them were whispering, wondering what the taiyoukai would be saying shortly, and _all_ of them were casting suspicious glances towards the hanyou.

Twenty feet to her right, Sesshoumaru sat in a rather understated chair on slightly raised platform. Rin and Washi were hovering at his elbow, chattering away about their first lesson with their new teacher. Kagome was pleased to see that they had expressions of extreme delight and continually interjected wishes for her to stay forever in the castle. Sesshoumaru, naturally, made no response to these requests.

"They are quite lively," came a voice. "I am glad Sesshoumaru-sama has found a female energetic and worthy enough to keep up with two children."

Kagome turned and smiled when she realized it was the skunk youkai, Ruri. Her eyes looked hollow and her voice was hoarse, but otherwise the demoness looked quite normal, only as if she had been suffering from a bad head cold. But then, Kagome reminded herself, demons never suffer from colds. They're resilient as kids. "I am glad to see you are looking well, Ruri-san. How are you?"

The beautiful youkai tossed her long, striped hair over her shoulder and looked at the hanyou with soulful eyes. "As well as can be expected, but you know of this feeling, do you not?"

The miko nodded and smiled wistfully. "You've been speaking to Nami-san."

"I have. Forgive us for gossiping, Kagome-san, but you are fascinating to us. Never has a hanyou entered this castle before and most that I have met outside these walls are so uncouth… You have truly shaken our views in a short amount of time."

Kagome gave an approving nod. "Good. It's always healthy to reevaluate one's values and conceptions. I just wish that everyone was so open to me as you and Nami-san." Her eyes flickered around the room, resting briefly on Machi, the acid demoness, who was sending her venomous stares.

Ruri followed her gaze. "Ah, Machi. You have met her then? She's so rude and so is her father. Thank Kami-sama that he has left court to return to his own lands. Unfortunately, the acid youkai clan must still have representation here in court. Especially since Sesshoumaru-sama is related to them."

The miko raised a red and black eyebrow. "You're kidding. I thought Sesshoumaru-sama was inuyoukai through and through."

"Oh, he is, practically," said the skunk youkai dismissively, "but you'll never hear the acid demons say that. The way _they_ talk, you'd think they'd given birth to Sesshoumaru-sama themselves, instead of his own mother! In reality, his great-great grandmother was half acid demon and half inuyoukai, the result of a treaty sealed with an arranged mating. They'll never let any of the other clans forget it though. I expect Machi-san to be crowned Queen of Bitches any day now. _Then_ she'll have more claim to the dog clan." She let out a long breath after her speech, as if she had been dying to say that for centuries.

Kagome chuckled, earning a sheepish grin from Ruri. "No, don't give me that look, Ruri-san! Say what's on your mind, I expect nothing less."

"It is good advice, Ruri-san," said Nami as she glided up to the pair of women. She gave a warm smile to both. "Some people in this court need a bit of brutal honesty from time to time."

Before they could begin to chat, however, Rin and Washi appeared at her side. Sesshoumaru was apparently ready to begin his talk and had sent them to her. As the taiyoukai rose from his seat, the dull buzz of talking ceased immediately and the youkai all turned their eyes to the Inutaisho.

"It would be fruitless for me to tell you of my whereabouts of the last five months," he began, his steady, deep voice reaching the back of the hall with ease. "It was my journey home that revealed important information that all subjects of the West should know and be made aware of.

"First, as many of you are aware, from either your own sources or the rumor mill, there have been rebellions in all parts of Japan. Many of these affected the Western Lands, many did not, but one man engineered them all. I do not yet know the identity of this youkai, but when I learn of it, he will be brought to justice for the blood he has spilled upon Japan's fields.

"Second, both the Southern and Eastern Lords have severed ties with us, refusing to remain our allies in this time of war. At this moment, many of their troops are gathered on the edge of our borders." He paused as this information, old as it doubtlessly was for the gossips, renewed whispers on the floor. "I need not tell you, especially the leaders of clan delegations, that contact with _anyone_ from the South or East is forbidden, will be considered treason and punishable by death.

"Third and last, especially to those with children, the tengu have apparently appeared in our lands once again. Parties will be organized shortly to exterminate this menace from the West, but until then, do not leave any pup under the age of fifteen unattended. It might be the last time you see them." His cold amber gaze swept the crowd, expecting another outburst of talking, but everyone was enraptured by the news he was bearing. He doubted he would ever get this sort of attention again. "There is no more to say on this subject. I will entertain a few questions."

Two hundred clawed hands raised into the air, but Sesshoumaru remained unruffled, choosing a small green demoness in the front to speak.

She bowed, her nose nearly touching the ground. "Lord Sesshoumaru, we have heard many things during your absence. Is it true the Southern Lord has died?"

"Yes, his son was the one to sever ties with the West. A foolish move on the insolent pup's part."

Two hundred heads nodded in agreement with this statement as the taiyoukai chose another demon, a rather alarmingly large mouse youkai. "Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama, but who is the young woman you have brought home?"

"We are discussing the matter of the newest threat to our lands," answered the inuyoukai, without so much as a glance at the hanyou who was now attracting everyone's attention. "Old business will be discussed after the new business has been put to rest."

About one hundred and eighty hands were lowered and Kagome sighed under her breath at the nosiness of youkai. And to think she had once considered it a unique habit of Inuyasha's!

Much to her surprise, Sesshoumaru patiently answered all of the remaining questions, not once raising his voice, even though it was evident that the youkai were just looking for confirmation or denial of the rumors flying about. All of it was old news to Kagome, who let her mind wander a bit.

It was quickly brought back to attention, however, when the taiyoukai cleared his throat and gave her a meaningful glance. "It is time to discuss the demise of the Western Land's previous great enemy, Naraku."

An excited whisper filled the room, almost painfully loud before the taiyoukai raised his hand to silence them once again. "Yes, he is dead, but not without consequences. The battle was not entirely successful and this female," he nodded towards Kagome, "was the sole survivor. My half-brother, Inuyasha, was one of those that died."

Yet another flurry of chattering echoed inside the hall, but Kagome ignored it. What Sesshoumaru had said was wrong, untrue, a _lie_. She had known him to be many things, a royal pain in the ass usually, but _never_ a liar. For she had not been the sole survivor. Kikyo and Kagura had survived as well. She understood why Kagura was not mentioned; her survival could very well depend upon secrecy if there was a spy in their midst. And there was _always_ a spy.

But Kikyo? Kagome would have thought that Sesshoumaru would be warning the youkai about a deranged miko that could kill them with a touch or a single arrow. Perhaps he didn't see Kikyo as that much of a threat. He had never spent any inordinate amount of time with her, or with her memory hovering around like a particular blood-thirsty mosquito.

She shook herself and tried to concentrate on what the taiyoukai was saying. She would ask him about Kikyo later.

"…no Tama no longer exists, so anyone still pining for its power can stop," he ordered, a hard, steely edge to his voice. Kagome knew that he had never gone after the Shikon Jewel himself, although she wasn't sure why. Yet another thing to add to her growing list of questions. "I will inform this court of anything further. Good night."

He stepped off the platform and walked up to Kagome and the others clustered around her. "Rin, Washi, it is time for your training. Go down to my dojo with one of the guards. Your sensei is waiting," he said, only giving a quick glance at the other two women. "Half-breed, your own studies await you."

The miko made a very unladylike face.

He frowned at her silent response. "I must return to my work. I expect you to arrive in the library shortly." With that, he turned and walked out of the room, the children tagging along behind.

Kagome sighed and looked over at her new friends. "He's so warm and cuddly."

Ruri gave a noncommittal shrug; her contact with the demon lord had been restricted to two instances, when her mate was hired as head scout and when Sesshoumaru had told her that Sen had died. Nami just sighed, looking down at the floor.

To add to the sudden despondent air around them, Kagome's least favorite person at the castle sidled up to them at that moment. "Hello, Machi," greeted the hanyou with a dull tone. She began to look for nearby exits, as Sesshoumaru had taught her to do in battle situations. The only one was the main door, directly behind the acid demoness. Kagome sighed again and resigned herself to her fate.

Machi wasted no time. "Well now, half-breed, my cousin barely mentioned you in that speech of his. Why are you here when even your host does not recognize you? You stink up this palace with your tainted blood."

"Oh, how clever. I haven't heard that one yet," Kagome drawled, used to this from years of bickering with Inuyasha.

"Machi," pleaded the blue-skinned demon beside her, "please don't start this. She is Sesshoumaru-sama's honored guest!"

"Oh shut up, you weak little tart," snapped the acid youkai. "You're so pathetic that you should be called a half-breed yourself. You're a disgrace to demons everywhere!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes and decided quickly to hit the venomous woman where it would hurt most. "You know what's _disgraceful_, Machi? That you spend all your time trying to get into Sesshoumaru-sama's bed and I, a worthless half-breed with _tainted blood_, know him better than you."

"Like our great Lord Sesshoumaru would ever stoop to bedding a half-breed," the acid youkai scoffed.

"You're right," agreed Kagome, knowing it would throw off her opponent, "but at least he'll never use me for sex, like he would with you. You serve one purpose and it is not being Lady of the Western Lands. Nami has a much better chance than you'll ever have."

"How would you know?" Machi said, her voice dangerously soft and her eyes narrowing.

"Call it my inuyoukai instinct," replied the hanyou, giving her a malicious grin. "But then, you would know of that, wouldn't you? Being related to the Inutaisho after all." She shot a brief look at Ruri, who's eyes were wide with surprise with a ghost of a smile on her lips. "Now, if you would excuse me, I have to go work."

Ruri lit up. "Ah yes, Kagome-san! You don't want to keep Sesshoumaru-sama waiting!"

Kagome nodded vigorously, playing the part. "Of course, because if we stay up too late, Sesshoumaru-sama and I will be so tired in our _other_ lesson tomorrow morning. Where _does_ the time go?"

She waved good-bye to her friends and the furious Machi, and walked away, careful not to turn her back on the acid demoness for too long. Once out in the hall, she took a deep breath and pushed it all out. 'That felt good,' she thought, 'putting down that horrid woman. Those comments to Nami! I don't understand why Sesshoumaru keeps her around.'

Using her sense of smell once again as a guide to find where the taiyoukai had gone, Kagome wandered the castle, finally climbing the familiar stairs to the third floor and walking across the bridge into the East Wing.

Opening the door to the study, she heard what was sure to become a frequent saying. "You're late."

"Yeah, I know," she said, unapologetic. "I got into a tiff with Machi. That woman is really horrible, you know? Not just to me or Rin, but to anyone she believes is below her station."

"I am aware of Machi's unique personality traits."

"You should kick her out."

"I cannot. She is an ambassador here of her own choice. She must betray me to be exiled."

"Or executed?" asked Kagome hopefully, her demon blood rising ever so slightly.

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow at her. "Or executed," he agreed calmly, returning his eyes to his work.

Kagome wandered over to his bookshelves, her fingers running over the books' spines as she read them. "What should I be studying? Anything particular you want me to teach the kids?"

In the light of the fire, Sesshoumaru looked downright wicked as his eyes swept over his collection of manuscripts. "Religion. I have never taught Rin the ways of demon religion and it is time she learn." He pointed to a section to his left. "A few volumes should be over there."

The hanyou crossed the room and began to look, questions burning the back of her throat, waiting to be asked. She finally gave in. "Is Rin going to live with demons forever?"

She heard him set down his brush and could feel his gaze boring into her back as she searched for the books required. "She has not known any other life for many years. She has nothing in the human world and everything here," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I believe Rin will ultimately make her own decision however."

Kagome found a volume sporting the title _Genji Shibukawa: Tales from the Kojiki_, what she would have called 'mythology' in her era and pulled it out. "But, what about a family? Children? Will she have those in this world?"

Sesshoumaru fought the urge to growl at her intrusive questions. Questions that he himself had considered many times over the past few years, and had not yet found answers for.

The hanyou turned to face him and continued, "And what about her life span? You and I and Washi will live for centuries, but she'll grow old and die within decades."

"It is Rin's choice."

"So, basically, you have no idea."

The taiyoukai gave her a sharp glance, but her serious face and rather sad eyes told him that she was not mocking him. He sighed and ran his hand through his silver hair. "I do not know, which disturbs this Sesshoumaru, but I am searching for a way to keep her life preserved as well as ours. If she so chooses."

Her crimson ears twitched as she recalled her earlier questions. "Why didn't you come after the Shikon jewel then? It could have given her immortal life, and yet you never went after the shards."

"The answer to _that_, half-breed, should be apparent." A quick glimpse of her shrugged shoulders told him otherwise and he mentally rolled his eyes. "I have no desire to attain power by such underhanded methods and I possess an absolute revulsion to using them to give Rin a prolonged lifespan. I believe that it would have changed her in more ways than I had intended. As my late brother discovered, to use the Jewel for a selfish purpose would taint it and the effect of the wish."

"It didn't affect me adversely."

Sesshoumaru stared directly into her eyes and cocked an eyebrow. "Are you so sure of that, half-breed?"

She scowled and stuck her tongue out, although she was almost certain that the taiyoukai was _teasing_ her. "I was just wondering. This didn't have to become about _my_ personal failings, whatever you think they are."

"I trust that Rin will choose wisely."

Kagome sat down on one of the cushion on the opposite side of his desk. "Well… perhaps she'll fall in love with a demon," she said, her voice soft and airy. "And then she'll never want to leave this world." She wanted to add reassurances that Rin would never want to leave her precious Sesshoumaru, but wisely decided against it.

The taiyoukai nodded, his eyes remaining hard and emotionless. "Read your book."

Opening the text, the hanyou immediately allowed her mind to wander. The fireplace in the next room was crackling, sending a comfortable, heavy heat into the library. She yawned like a cat, revealing her white fangs.

"Concentrate, wench."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." She stared down at the first page of the book. The creation myth, naturally. _Before the heavens and the earth came into existence, all was a chaos, unimaginably limitless and without definite shape or form. Eon followed eon: then, lo! out of this boundless, shapeless mass something light and transparent rose up and formed the heaven…_

_Inuyasha wandered onto the dark, bottomless plane, and spotted her. "Kagome! Thank Kami-sama!" He ran to her and crushed her body against his own. "I thought Sesshoumaru had gotten you."_

_"No," she said, relief washing through her body to see her mate alive and well. "He just disappeared. He came to the door but didn't go through. I don't understand it, but something saved me."_

_He hugged her tightly. "I'm just glad you're back with me."_

_"Me too," she mumbled into his haori, her own breath tickling her nose._

_Pulling away, Kagome giggled as she let her fingers dance over the edges of Inuyasha's ears. His eyes slid shut and a small growl of pleasure erupted from his chest._

_Over his shoulder, out of the darkness, a white object appeared. Kagome's fingers stopped their ministrations immediately. "Inuyasha…" she whispered in a terrified squeak._

_He lifted his head and gazed into her wide brown eyes. "What is it?"_

_"I'm not sure… I think, I think it's Sesshoumaru."_

_Inuyasha snarled and whipped around, his hair grazing Kagome's face. "Get back! I'll fight him. Just make sure he doesn't get you."_

_The girl's eyes watered as she stumbled backwards. "Be careful. Please. You don't have to fight, Inu-kun."_

_"Yes, I do, Kagome. I won't let him take you." A whisper of metal upon wood, and Tetsusaiga was transformed in Inuyasha's claws. "Stay back," he warned. "I'm sure Sesshoumaru is up to his old dirty tricks."_

_Moments later, the taiyoukai touched down upon the nebulous ground. "Ah, little brother. We meet again. How surprising."_

_"What do you want, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha yelled in return, his eyes blazing molten gold._

_"Haven't you figured that out yet, Inuyasha? I want your death to be upon my hands. I want your blood to spill upon this ground," he said in his usual cool, dapper tone. His amber eyes, so much like his younger brother's, yet completely different with their indescribable chill, flickered to Kagome. "But most of all, I want _her_."_

_"Why?" screamed the miko. Her feet seemed to be planted to the floor, unable to listen to her brain, telling them to move, to run._

_"To ruin it all," answered Sesshoumaru, his voice uncharacteristically high, as if the joy had addled his brain. "To allow demons to rule this earth forever, without the interference of vermin like yourself."_

_Inuyasha leapt in between the demon and female hanyou. "You won't do this. Not to her! Not to Kagome!"_

_They began to fight, so fast that Kagome could barely keep up. Her vision continued to blur, leaving smears of white and red. The whine of metal against metal echoed within her delicate ears, almost instantly leaving her with a skull-cracking headache._

_She fell to knees, the pain wracking her body, sending chills of agony up and down her spine. Her mouth opened and a scream tumbled out, shrill and blood-curdling._

_Inuyasha pushed back Sesshoumaru and turned to his mate. "Kagome!"_

_The girl opened her eyes and realized she could once again see clearly, just in time to watch Sesshoumaru plunge Tokijin into Inuyasha's back. The bloody blade came out the other side, directly below the hanyou's heart. Dark liquid seeped across the fabric of the fire rat robe and down towards his waist. An oppressive silence descended. Her heart had stopped._

_Inuyasha blinked slowly and lowered his head to look at the damage. Lifting his clawed hand, he ran it along the sharp blade and covered his fingers with his own deep red blood. "Kagome?" he pleaded, looking up at her with child-like innocence._

_Kagome choked back a sob and rolled onto her back._

The back of her head and spine hit the solid wood floor of Sesshoumaru's study with a crack. "Ow!" Blue and red spots danced in front of her eyes.

"I _did_ advise you to concentrate."

Kagome shot up straight and scrambled backwards. Away from the taiyoukai and his scent of sage and lavendar. Away from the demon who had killed her love only seconds before. Where was Tokijin? She was surprised he wasn't cleaning off the blood. Why wasn't he laughing? Why wasn't he smiling or gloating about his victory? Most importantly, why wasn't he hauling her off to her own demise?

For a brief moment, the dog demon appeared confused. "What is the problem, half-breed?"

"Get _away_ from me, you monster!"

Sesshoumaru passed his remaining hand over his face. "You must really learn to stop this foolish behavior, wench. It is quite tiresome."

"You killed him! You killed your own brother!" she screamed.

The inuyoukai growled, so deeply that it resonated through the floorboards. "You were dreaming. Now be _quiet_!"

"No, it was real! You're a murderer!"

Cursing his bad luck, Sesshoumaru stood up and approached the hanyou, who was cowering in the corner. "It was _not_ real. It _was_ a dream. And if this Sesshoumaru was a murderer, you too would be dead. _Before _you were able to deafen me with your piercing shrieks."

There was a sharp rap on the door. "Lord Sesshoumaru! We heard a disturbance. Is everything alright?"

Sesshoumaru sniffed. "Yes. Go back to your posts." He turned to the hanyou. "Those are the guards you so desperately wanted to look after the children. The same children to whom you gave lessons this afternoon. And, if your brain is not completely addled, you will be giving them lessons again tomorrow."

Kagome sighed and shook her head. "I'm so confused. It hurts."

"What pains you?" asked the taiyoukai. His nose told him that she was neither ill nor bleeding, but he had a sinking feeling that it would a bit more complicated than that anyway.

"My brain. My heart. Everything," she murmured, allowing her hands to cradle her head. "You killed Inuyasha but now you're being nice to me."

'Nice?' Sesshoumaru mused. 'The girl has lost her mind.' Out loud he said, "Once again, I tell you that I did not kill my brother. Although I tried many times, it was Kikyo who finally took that honor from me."

"Ki-Kikyo?" Kagome's face changed from an expression of wonderment to that of complete rage. "Kikyo! I remember now!" she snarled.

"Good." He returned to his desk and sat down once again. "Now you can return to your studies without further interruption." He silently asked Kami-sama to provide peace in his household, just until dinner. Even a brief cessation of the hanyou's ranting and raving would be a gift from the heavens.

"I can't study now!" screeched the girl, waving her arms about. "Maybe that dream _wasn't_ real, but it sure felt like it. I've watched Inuyasha die again and again. And just when my dreams were starting to improve, they turn into nightmares." She stared at him, accusation in her eyes. "And it's _always_ you. You're the one that always tears us apart. He _warned_ me about you."

"I would apologize, but it was not actually me in your dreams."

"What're you babbling about? You'd never apologize to me," she scoffed.

"No, probably not," he admitted, shuffling through his paperwork.

Kagome shrugged and stood up. "If you don't mind, I'll just read this book in my room," she said, picking up the text she had let fall to the floor during her dream. "I'm going to turn in early tonight, since I'm sure you won't let me out of training tomorrow."

"I will not, but you will miss dinner."

"Are you kidding? Lunch was enough to feed a village and I ate nearly all of it. I'm fine. I'll see you tomorrow morning." She waved at the taiyoukai, exited the room and nearly ran to her room, ignoring the guards. Once inside, the door shut tightly behind her, Kagome let out a breath and tried to still her heart.

What _was_ that? She thought she had overcome those episodes of insanity. Of course, the last one had only been a few days ago, when she had discovered Inuyasha's empty grave… but still. That had felt like the end all, the final show before she began the true road to recovery.

She walked across the room to her bedside table and placed the religious text on the edge. She would read it later, when she wasn't feeling so stirred up and restless.

Opening the doors to her small balcony, Kagome stepped out into the warm black night. It was unseasonably warm, considering that they were headed into autumn. The hanyou guessed that it must be around the middle of September, by her era's reckoning. Soon the harvest season would end and the leaves would change to red, orange, yellow and gold. It was Kagome's favorite time of year.

Hugging herself despite the warm air, the hanyou looked up to the sky. A large moon loomed over the castle, so close to complete that many people would mistake it for a truly full moon. Tomorrow night she would have to stay inside her room. Perhaps she would get lucky and grab a bite to eat before sequestering herself, although it was unlikely. Sesshoumaru wouldn't allow her to skip out on studying for two nights in a row.

Soon, she would have to leave this place for good to exact revenge upon Kikyo and find out what new villain she had hooked up with. Kagome doubted that she would return from such a trip, due to either Sesshoumaru's refusal or her own death. She wasn't sure which would be more painful. Leaving the children, leaving the youkai who had become her reluctant friend… it would be so much easier if Kikyo dealt a fatal blow before Kagome killed her.

And he had become her friend, no matter how much both of them didn't want it to be like that. She hadn't been lying that night when he had saved her from the shadow creatures.

She sighed, deciding to not think about it for the moment. It was too confusing. There were too many issues and bouts of insanity to think clearly. One moment she was a wretched half-demon with a chip on her shoulder about a dead miko, and the next she felt almost human again, with children under her care and friends.

Either way, it was going to take a bit more time to figure it out. Whatever 'it' was.

A shooting star streaked across the sky, momentarily distracting her from the moon. Automatically, she made a wish.

'Please,' she thought, directing her desire to the heavens, 'let Inuyasha's last wish become reality. Let him rest in peace and let me live my life. I want to be happy, truly happy, once again. I don't want the shadow of my past hanging over me. Six months of torture is enough.'

With a sigh and the belief that her wish was futile, Kagome turned to go back into the room for what hopefully would be a dreamless sleep.

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Sesshoumaru watched her as she pored over the _Tales from the Kojiki_. Her dark brown eyes sped across the page as she mouthed the words. Every once in awhile a silent word would turn into a whisper, the only other sound beside the crackling fire.

They had reached an unspoken agreement to not talk about the incident the night before, but the taiyoukai still watched her. He wasn't completely certain as to why he kept his vigil, but he knew that he couldn't allow her to fall asleep once again during her studies. But luckily, it seemed as if she didn't have any more inclination to dream again than he did to allow her.

"I think the fire is dying."

Sesshoumaru glanced over at the fading embers. "I will put another log on in a few moments."

"Hmm." She kept her eyes down on the book.

It had been like that all day. A few words of no meaning passed between them and then silence. Even when the taiyoukai had berated her for her poor performance on a particular kata, Kagome had simply apologized and tried harder. No arguments and no true conversation.

He turned and looked out over his city and the dying sunlight. Even from across the mansion, he could smell the servants preparing dinner. Jaken would be supervising in the kitchens, making sure that his lord got the best cuts of meat after five months of foul human food.

"Dinner is ready," he stated, standing up and straightening the last stack of papers. It was still depressingly tall, but it was only a fraction of the work he had started with the previous day.

"I'm not hungry."

"The children will eat alone," he observed as he threw another log on the fire. It crackled madly as it hit the ashy, burnt pieces already resting in the grate. He made a mental note to tell Jaken the fireplace needed a scrubing.

She raised her head and gave him a sadistic smile. "_You_ can eat with them if you're really worried, Sesshoumaru."

He walked past her and stopped at the door, quickly deciding to taunt her a bit. "You _will_ join us. It is not up for negotiation."

The smile melted, replaced by a furious stare. Before she could open her mouth, however, Sesshoumaru stepped out of the room and closed the cherry wood door behind him.

"Hey! You jerk!" came a muffled cry.

The dog demon quickly made his way down to the dining hall, aware that the children were already back from their training and probably driving Jaken insane.

Upon entering the hall, there was a cry of "Sesshoumaru-sama!" and the pattering of feet. The taiyoukai looked down at the kids.

"Good evening, Rin, Washi. How was your lesson?"

"Wonderful, Sesshoumaru-sama!" exclaimed the dark-haired girl.

The eagle demon nodded his agreement. "The sensei said I had some real talent, Sesshoumaru-sama! He said I would make a great officer one day!" He puffed out his chest and spread his wings. "Could I join your army one day, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The taiyoukai, well aware of the carnage seen on demon battlefields, nodded once. "We shall see."

Washi beamed and skipped over to the table. "Come on, Sesshoumaru-sama! We're starving!"

Rin began to follow her new friend but stopped and looked around the taiyoukai. "Lord Sesshoumaru, where is Kagome-san? Isn't she joining us for dinner?"

"I do not know. That is not my concern, Rin," responded the dog demon, moving towards the plate Jaken had prepared for him specially.

He glanced down at his dinner. Obviously the staff had killed one of the best animals in the stockyard for his first meal back with Rin. Given the general anti-human feeling among the nobles of his court, Sesshoumaru was constantly amazed by the warm relationship between his staff and Rin. They did not seem to care that she was human, but rather doted on her for that very reason. Anything associated with the little girl commanded their full attention.

The small human was, at the moment, pouting slightly and looking back at the door.

"Rin, stop that. It is unlikely that she will arrive."

Washi looked up, his wings rustling with his movements. "She has to be hungry though! We worked on math today and she said she really hates that. Her tummy was growling too."

Sesshoumaru glanced at both children and their unhappy faces before sighing inwardly. "I shall check on her after I eat. However, if she does not wish to be disturbed, you will respect that and not bother her. You will, after all, see her tomorrow morning for your lessons."

The children ate slowly, constantly watching the taiyoukai make his way through his meal. Many times, he had to tell them to keep their eyes on their own food.

"Mine would make you sick, Rin," he said evenly, his eyes giving her a hard look. "Neither of you have taken more than a few bites. Have my servants failed in their occupation?"

The little girl's eyes widened. "Oh no, Sesshoumaru-sama! They did a wonderful job, just like always. But we're worried about Kagome-san. Even I could hear her tummy growling this afternoon. And she spent her break outside with us in the garden."

Sesshoumaru set down his chopsticks. "Very well. I will check on her now."

Trying to ignore the phrases 'under her thumb' and 'leashed' that were floating around in his head, the taiyoukai set out to find the hanyou that had somehow changed his life with her mere presence.

As he drew closer to the staircase to the East wing, he noticed a definite increase in the volume of traffic. Several of his nobles, especially females, were moving in the same direction towards the east. Many of them were party to the group that had so strongly resented Rin's arrival four years previous.

The hum of conversation floated down the staircase as Sesshoumaru climbed to the third floor, so he was not surprised to find a large group of youkai clustered around the doors leading to the bridge across to the East wing. His guards had called for reinforcements from adjoining hallways and several of them were in heated arguments with the nobles.

"What is happening here?" intoned the taiyoukai. "I do not see anyone here that is permitted to go through these doors, save myself and the guards. _Explain yourselves_."

Unsuprisingly, Machi pushed her way to the front of the crowd. "Lord Sesshoumaru," she purred, bowing deeply. "How nice to see you in a non-official capacity."

The inuyoukai frowned. "Given your presence in a restricted area, Machi, this just _became_ an official matter."

The acid demoness appeared unabashed, but remained silent.

"Now, someone tell this Sesshoumaru what is happening and why my guards have been pulled from their regular posts." He narrowed his eyes and looked at the mixture of guilt and defiance on the faces of his nobles. "Now!" he barked, making them jump.

One of sentries stepped forward, a raven youkai private whose name Sesshoumaru could not recall. "Sesshoumaru-sama, these lords and ladies came to your quarters demanding to be allowed in. They claimed that there is a human in the East wing and that it is not Lady Rin."

"It _is_ a human, you common crow," spat Machi. "Any youkai with a half decent nose could smell it from a mile away."

Sesshoumaru lifted his canine nose to the air and the scent of mandarin oranges wafted into his senses. However, there was something distinctly different and something stirred in his memory of his past with Inuyasha. "It is just the half-breed. Go back to your own rooms."

"With all _due_ respect, try again, Lord Sesshoumaru," whispered the acid youkai.

Snarling, the taiyoukai moved through the crowd, pausing briefly next to the guards. "Let anyone through these doors besides the children and your lives will be forfeit." He raised his voice, so that it would carry over the mob. "And anyone who _tries_ to force their way in will face my own wrath."

Walking quickly, Sesshoumaru crossed the bridge and went through the doors on the other side. The guards in the hallway were restless. "My lord," one of them called, "please tell us what is happening out there. Do our comrades need assistance?"

"I do not believe there will be any further trouble," stated the dog demon. He once again sniffed the air, now pungent with the scent of several soldiers as well as the scents of the wing's occupants. "Has anything occurred here?"

A few guards fidgeted. "We don't know. Something has happened to the hanyou. We smell fear and depression, but she will not allow us to help, although we have tried."

"I have no doubt that she is being stubborn. Go to the dining hall and escort the children back here. I do not want them hassled by the crowd," ordered the taiyoukai as he moved towards the half-breed's room and knocked on the door. "I am coming in," he called.

"Don't you dare!" shrieked the girl from inside.

Sesshoumaru ignored this and walked into the unlit room, his youkai eyes automatically adjusting to the low light. Movement to his right attracted his attention immediately.

The hanyou came out of the darkest corner of the room and traveled along the far edge of her bed. She remained however, completely shrouded in shadow. "What do you want? I told you I wasn't hungry."

"The children missed you, but more importantly, you are disrupting the entire schedule of this court."

"What are you talking about, Sesshoumaru?"

"There is a large crowd hovering at the other end of the bridge, screaming that there is strange human in this wing. I have protected you, despite my desire to allow them to rip you apart. I want to hear the truth."

"Why? You know it already. I can tell." She retreated back behind her bedpost.

"Say it. For _once_," he hissed, "I would like to hear the complete truth from your mouth."

"Fine. Fine!" She moved quickly towards the curtained windows, which emitted the glow of muted moonlight. Throwing them open, she turned around to face the taiyoukai. "There? Are you happy? I'm human. I turn human every time there is a full moon. Now if you don't mind, I really hate this transformation and I'd like to be left alone."

Her river of solid black hair rippled in the soft light as she tossed her head in defiance. Her crossed arms displayed ten round, dull fingernails and Sesshoumaru was certain that her jaws housed normal human teeth.

He walked up to her, her mandarin orange scent surrounding him, and took her chin between his thumb and forefinger. Turning her head, ignoring her angry stare, he examined her human face for the first time up close. Smooth skin, dark eyes and long eyelashes made a fairly pleasing visage. "You aren't _entirely_ unattractive, Kagome."

She gasped and backed away out of his grasp.

The taiyoukai blinked slowly and raised his eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"

"You… you called me by my name."

"I did."

"You've never done that before."

"I have not."

"Okay…" She returned to him, looking up to his stony expression. "So why now?"

Sesshoumaru smirked. "You cooperated. Had you done so earlier, perhaps I would have called you by name earlier."

"Oh. Well, you could have told me that."

"Would you have listened?"

"Probably not," she admitted.

The taiyoukai nodded and turned away.

"Wait!" she called, reaching out with her unclawed hand. "Where are you going?"

"I plan to check upon the children and then go to my own room," he replied, twisting his neck to see the girl bathed in moonlight, wearing a dark blue yukata that made her pale skin glow. He turned to face her. "Was there something else you required?"

Her brown eyes seemed to grow as she looked up at him. "Are they still out there?"

Sesshoumaru cracked open the door and pressed his ear to the opening. "Yes, although they have calmed down considerably." He closed the door again and watched her pace in front of the window. "Do not concern yourself. They will not cross the bridge if they value their lives."

Kagome smiled. "You threatened them for me? That's sweet."

"They do not belong here. It was not for you."

She winked as her smile spread, showing off her even, blunt teeth. "Okay. Sure, Sesshoumaru."

"Hm," he murmured in return, narrowing his eyes at her happy expression. He hated being teased by the hanyou, but at least it was an improvement on her usual moping. "Goodnight," said the taiyoukai, turning towards the door.

A frown replaced her smile. Had she said something wrong? He was leaving so abruptly. On the other hand, he had not called her 'half-breed' or 'wench' yet. Sesshoumaru was halfway out the door before she realized she didn't want him to leave. "Please don't, Sesshoumaru. Don't leave."

He gave her a strange look, but closed the door once again. "Was there something else?"

Kagome hoped that the dark room would hide her blush, although she knew Sesshoumaru would be able to smell her embarrassment. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I really would appreciate it if you stayed here tonight."

"My room is next to yours," pointed out the taiyoukai. "Why would you require my presence?"

"Think about this, Sesshoumaru. You're a demon, but once a month you have to become a half-demon for a night. During that time you have every feeling you suppress the rest of the time, things come back to haunt you. And, oh yeah, you feel completely and utterly helpless because of your decreased strength and speed." She sat down on the soft wool blanket that covered the end of her bed and leaned against the carved bedpost. "Do you understand now?"

There was a slight pause while Sesshoumaru considered her hypothetical situation. "No."

She sighed and brushed her hair back from her face. "Never mind. You can go if you really want to."

For a moment, he pondered escape and placed a clawed hand on the doorknob, but something held him back. Damning the moon and Kagome's human blood, Sesshoumaru turned back towards the girl in the dark room. "I do not understand, but I will stay." He noticed the moonlight shining off the whites of her wide eyes. "To protect you."

"Thank you," she whispered. "I feel so strange being human again. This will be the first time someone has stayed with me."

Sesshoumaru crossed the room, pulled the chair from out under her desk and sat down. "You must become accustomed to it. You made this choice and you must live with the consequences."

"I know…"

Silence fell and stretched out over the minutes. Kagome watched the taiyoukai's white form as he sat as still as a predator in waiting. Every once in awhile, a dull flash of gold told her that he had moved his eyes. She imagined the glow of red replacing the gold and she shuddered. No wonder the mention of his name received that glassy-eyed look, accompanied by rapid breathing when she had asked about his whereabouts.

She collapsed back upon the soft mattress of the bed and stared up at the leafy ceiling. Finding the taiyoukai had been quite a job. In the beginning she hadn't been sure where to look. Japan itself was a large enough area for one hanyou to search, but what if Sesshoumaru had been taken out of the country?

But she had to admit to herself that she would have gone to Europe on foot if necessary. Anything to keep her busy and away from Inuyasha's gravesite. The piercing pain in her heart seemed to fade a bit when she was on some sort of mission and a difficult search for an elusive dog demon did the trick. Adding in the rumors of a new, dangerous demon and Kagome should have been preoccupied enough to recover fully.

The dreams however, continued to plague her. Although she had abided by the unspoken rule and had not mentioned the previous evening's incident, the hanyou remained unsettled. It didn't help that she had suffered through another dream in her own bed, which featured a maniacal taiyoukai gloating over Inuyasha's death. Upon waking, it had taken her nearly a half hour to calm her heart and to remember that Sesshoumaru was not a killer, nor would he hurt her.

She closed her eyes, although she knew she would not be able to sleep. Which, in her opinion, might be a good thing.

"If you fall asleep, I will leave."

Kagome cracked open one eye to see Sesshoumaru leaning forward in his chair. "I won't fall asleep. I _can't_ sleep when I'm human, especially with half your court out there. If you don't want to risk it, keep me entertained."

"I am not here for your amusement."

Kagome snorted. "Good thing too, because you suck royally at it." She heard the beginning traces of a snarl, and the grin dropped from her face. "Sorry. I didn't mean it. You're actually kind of fun to hang out with, even if you do spend most of your time ordering me around or telling me how worthless I am."

"Hm." His tail uncurled from his shoulder and pooled around his feet as he relaxed back in the chair.

Another long hush threatened to settle in as Kagome lay in the dark on the soft bedspread. She knew she would never fall asleep, being human and the dreams still looming over her head, but she did not want to spend the next eight hours in silence.

"Sesshoumaru."

"Hm."

"Do you have an immortal soul?"

Golden eyes flashed in the silver moonlight as he looked at her. Luminous brown eyes stared back, unblinking and utterly serious. "All demons have souls."

"So I haven't lost my own soul."

"No, you have not."

Kagome sighed and rolled over onto her stomach. "There are many other ways to lose one's soul," she commented. "Perhaps I _have_ lost mine, and we just don't know it. Perhaps you've lost yours."

"Unlikely."

The girl propped herself up on her hand and gazed at him with a critical eye. "Are you sure? How many youkai have you killed? How many humans?"

"Many. I have lost count. But if you are insinuating that this Sesshoumaru could lose his soul for ridding the world of a few pests, you are mistaken."

"There are a lot of people who would disagree with you, Sesshoumaru. Being a killer, righteous or not, doesn't look very good does it?"

"I do not care."

"Sure you do. You should anyway." She began to toy with the fringe of her coverlet, braiding and unbraiding the short strands. "Haven't you ever regretted choosing to be a warrior?"

Images flashed in his mind. The training sessions with his father, the generals, the masters of various martial arts. His first battle and the aftermath, how he had stood in that field, looking out over the dozens he had killed. But, as his father had reminded him, _that_ was the difference between victory and death. The former taiyoukai had been proud of his son that day. "I did not _choose_ this path. I was set upon it."

"Fine then," she conceded, smoothing out her blankets. "Do you ever regret that? Get angry about it?"

"No."

"I don't believe you."

"That is acceptable," he said, smirking.

"Just because I'm human tonight doesn't mean I can't see that look on your face. I was being serious, Sesshoumaru."

"So was I."

She sat up and rested her chin upon her knee, lacing her fingers together over her shin. "Haven't you ever lost someone in battle? Someone you cared for so deeply that it made you question your life?"

"No. I am not you, Kagome. I mourn no one," he said, his voice not as harsh as he had intended.

"I know… but what about that painting? Then one we saw in Izo's castle? With your father fighting the humans and your mother-,"

"I remember the painting," he interrupted, causing the miko to start. "Make your point or be quiet."

"Well, you lost your father. Not to that _specific_ battle, but to another one with that horrid dragon. Didn't that make you wonder?"

"Kagome," he gritted out from between clenched teeth, "you will find that my thoughts of warfare concentrate on two subjects. First, my expected losses and gains. And second, the strategy that will minimize those losses and maximize the gains."

"But don't you feel hurt when you lose your men? When you lost your arm? Your father?" she pressed.

"_Kagome_," he growled, earning her silence. Sighing from relief and exhaustion, he closed his eyes and, propping his arm upon the chair, placed his head in his remaining hand.

A rustle of silk told him that she had slipped off the bed and onto the padded mat between them. Just as he was about to open his eyes to see where the girl had gotten to, he felt her arms encircle his neck. His amber eyes snapped open, as his hand trapped the elbow that was half-way to the curve of his neck.

"What are you doing?" he asked, soft and dangerous, as he peered at the human face inches from his own. She was smiling, her dark eyes shining with shy mischief.

"I'm giving you a hug," she responded, trying to tug her arm out of his grasp. "Or at least I was trying to."

"_Why_?" he snapped, although he allowed her elbow freedom once again.

Kagome moved in fully, her thin, strong arms wrapping around his shoulders and neck and her weight resting on his legs and chest, so that she was sitting on his lap. She positioned her head on his collarbone, below his chin before speaking. "Because you needed one. I've never seen you sad before."

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, wondering what he had done to deserve this. "I was _not_ sad. Are you sure that it was not _you_ that needed this ridiculous embrace?"

The human girl pressed her cheek against the dog demon's warm silk-clad chest and shrugged lazily. "Maybe, but I still think this will be beneficial for you too." Her eyes fluttered closed as she sighed contentedly. "Besides, you have a very comfortable shoulder."

The taiyoukai rested against the back of his chair, allowing Kagome's mandarin scent to wash over him. A week ago, a _few days_ ago, he would have pushed her away, demanding that she never touch him again. By permitting her to stay, he realized that he was accepting her friendship. Worse, he was _returning_ that friendship.

Glancing down at the dark head of hair nestled upon his chest, he considered telling her to return to her bed, so that he could leave.

But she was asleep. Sesshoumaru stared at the way her even breathing ran through her small body. Asleep. Hadn't she said that she _never_ fell asleep as a human?

Perhaps she was sick. No, his nose would have told him if she suffered from any illness. Perhaps he was boring. She _had_ appeared quite distracted during his speech the previous day. He could be forcing her to over-exert herself in her training and in tutoring the children. But surely she would complain if that were true. No, it was far worse than either of those possibilities.

She found his presence _comforting_. Sesshoumaru's nose twitched slightly at the thought. Sighing in resignation, he looked down again at one of the two females who actually preferred his company, regardless of wealth or titles.

The girl was shivering a little, a side-effect of human frailty. The dog demon lifted his tail from the ground and wrapped it around Kagome's form as best he could without waking her. Immediately, she stopped shaking, shifting a bit to snuggled underneath the thick fur.

Noting that the girl was not muttering his dead brother's name, the taiyoukai relaxed his muscles and closed his eyes once again.

In the morning, the guards would stare and rumors would fly, but at the moment, the Lord of the Western Lands didn't care. Though he hesitated to use the word, the great taiyoukai was a _friend_ to the least likely creature in existence.

Once more, he gazed down at the small, weak mortal in his arms, almost completely covered by the soft white fur of his tail. He recalled the promise he made at Inuyasha's graveside and smirked. Let them think what they wished, this was nothing new. This was simply a _redefinition_ of that promise.

As far as anyone else would know, of course. After all, no one would believe that the great demon lord had a friend in a psychotic half demon.

Bending his head forward, his silver hair surrounded the two of them, human and demon. Minutes later, he was asleep.

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A/N: There you go. I hope you guys liked it. Basically, I combined two chapters here… not a plan I had started with but I quickly realized that the first half was not enough for a single chapter. So you guys essentially got chapter 12 AND 13. Aren't you pleased? Haha. Anyway, I tried very hard to keep everyone in character and not too mushy, yet romantic. Did I succeed? Comment, flame or whatever. Thanks for your patience!

Review responses removed due to ban


	13. Kagome's Troubles

A/N: One of my greatest reviewers pointed out that the previous chapter, "Sesshoumaru's Troubles" somewhat resembles Nostawen's _Laying Amongst Dokatsu_. After rereading the chapter, I realized that my faithful reader had a valid point, but that my chapter and Nostawen's are sufficiently different that it shouldn't cause any problems (not to mention that she has loads more talent). After all, authors before Nostawen and myself have placed Kagome and Sesshoumaru in close quarters at night, so neither of us can really claim originality of the concept. Stylistically however, there are a few similarities and I just wanted to drop a note saying that if anyone (specifically Nostawen herself) has a problem with my chapter, I'll go back and rework it.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 13: Kagome's Troubles

The hanyou hopped down the wooden plank steps past the bathhouse and towards the dojo. Around her, the trees were starting to change color for autumn. Soon, the hill would be blanketed in gold, red, yellow and orange. "Hurry up, Sesshoumaru," she called over her shoulder.

"I will arrive eventually. Stop that irritatingly cheerful demeanor."

Kagome placed her hand on the trunk of a tree and effortlessly swung herself around to face the taiyoukai. She was grinning in a frighteningly sardonic manner. "Well, I finally get a real opponent today. So you said."

"You will be modifying your kata in order to block my attacks. That is all. You are nowhere near capable of truly defending yourself, or anyone else for that matter," he responded calmly.

"Hmph! Some teacher _you_ are. Don't you know that you're supposed to encourage your pupils?" She walked up to him with her hands on her hips and gave him a defiant pout.

The dog demon bit his tongue, preventing the insults that would surely come tumbling out in response to her ill-phrased question. It was much too early in the morning for an argument with a lively half-demon. Instead, he chose to walk around her and down the slope towards the dojo with Kagome scampering after him and chattering about his beautiful gardens.

It had been five days since he had woken up with her in his arms, the morning after the full moon. Before he could even consider waking her up, her eyes had fluttered open and she murmured a sleepy 'good morning'. Instead of the awkward silence he had expected to wedge between them, Kagome smiled and lazily slid off his lap. Twenty minutes later, she was ready to leave for their training session.

On the surface, nothing had changed. Sesshoumaru was still a harsh demon lord and Kagome was still a worthless half-breed. But the taiyoukai had found that he could no longer bring himself to call her as such. The only word that floated through his mind when he was addressing her was 'Kagome', not 'half-breed' or 'wench'.

He had come to accept this change with little resistance, but would not allow anyone to see the difference. The dog demon would only call her by name in private, not even in front of the children. After all, the guards were already whispering among themselves about the night he had spent in her room. Just as he had predicted, the rumor mill had not failed, but cranked into high gear. Puzzled murmurs followed both the taiyoukai and the hanyou down the halls when they descended into the lower parts of the castle. Surprisingly, Kagome was doing an exemplary job of ignoring them.

The pair reached the entrance to the dojo just as a distant cry hailed them. Turning around, they could see the small figure of a palace guard waving at them. "Lord Sesshoumaru!" he called again. "Please wait!" He began to sprint down the steps towards his master.

Sesshoumaru was sorely tempted to step into the dojo anyway, where the guards had received strict orders not to disturb him. He really didn't want to deal with business this day and anything that caused a guard to call after him was bound to take up the entire morning. But he accepted his fate and waited for the exuberant sentry to reach them.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" the demon wheezed as he approached. It was one of the newer recruits, a bat demon whose name the taiyoukai had not learned yet. Dressed in the standard issue armor, he bowed and waited for his lord to give permission to deliver his message.

"Speak."

"My lord, you told us to bring in anyone that aroused our suspicions for questioning. I believe that you would prefer to question the two demons we just brought in. They have been asking for the Lady Kagome."

The dog demon and hanyou exchanged looks with arched eyebrows. "What kind of demons?" asked the girl. "Did they say how I know them?"

The bat demon, who had not expected more questions, flushed a bit and stammered, "W-well, actually my lady, I have just been sent here with the message. M-my commanding officer was the one that cap-captured them. I have not seen the youkai in question." His eyes constantly flickered towards Sesshoumaru's face, obviously looking for signs of displeasure.

Kagome smiled at the youkai, trying to put him at ease. "Well, then, we'll just have to meet them ourselves. Sesshoumaru-sama, should we put off our training for a bit?"

The taiyoukai nodded. "You are dismissed, lieutenant," he ordered, causing the bat demon to flush a darker red. "Go back to your post."

"Yes, my lord!" he responded, saluting and then scampering back up the steps.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome followed at a more leisurely pace, a soft breeze blowing back their long hair. "He was afraid of you," observed the girl.

"Most of them are. I could kill them easily."

"You don't actually do that, do you?" she asked, giving him a look of shock.

"Only when they upset me greatly," he responded, fixing a cold gaze on her face.

Kagome shivered involuntarily, clutching the arms of her thick, white training hakama. "That's horrible."

His voice chilled as he turned his face and frowned slightly. "And how do you expect me to deal with traitors and those that are such cowards they put my entire army in jeopardy?"

"I guess so," she conceded as they began to traverse the garden. Her fingers brushed against the silky petals of the daylilies and irises as she passed. Rin would be out here soon, inspecting her precious flowers and making sure they were quite healthy. Washi had taken to joining her in this process, although Kagome suspected that he cared little for flowers, which were fixed to the ground and unable to fly. Instead, he chased after the butterflies, bees and dragonflies that darted over the flowerbeds.

They made their way into the mansion and towards the grand hall. Sesshoumaru used a small room off of the hall to interrogate youkai that were not threatening enough to be thrown into the dungeons immediately. It had reinforced walls and a magical barrier to prevent any 'accidents' and was far enough from the residential wings to not present any serious security risks.

Nodding to the guards on either side of the door, Sesshoumaru opened the entrance to the interrogation room, blocking Kagome from the occupants' view. When he saw the prisoners, however, he stopped.

The hanyou placed her small clawed hands on the taiyoukai's shoulders and tried to peek over him into the room. "Who is it?" she asked.

Two seated figures, heavily bandaged, looked up at the girl and jumped to their feet. "Kagome-neesan!" they called, their voices relieved and ecstatic.

Kagome squealed and pushed a rather surprised and irritated dog demon to the side. Sprinting forward, she threw herself into a three-person embrace. "Hakkaku! Ginta! How did you find me? What happened to you two? You're both a mess!" She met the eyes of a guard in the corner of the room. "Go and get some medical supplies and a healer if you have one around here."

As a rather surprised sentry left, Sesshoumaru fully entered the room and immediately noted that the girl had a point. Each of the wolf youkai sported several bloody strips of cloth wrapped around their arms, legs and torsos. The one with the tuft of black hair had one around his neck and when he spoke, his voice was scratchy, as if it hadn't been used in months.

"Kagome-neesan," Ginta croaked. "We didn't know where you had gone. We thought you were dead, but then we met a flea demon named Myoga. He said he had sent you to find Lord Sesshoumaru."

Hakkaku put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Don't strain your voice, Ginta. I'll tell her." He gave his near-sister a wistful smile, an uncharacteristic appearance for such a lively wolf youkai. "Well, nee-san, you know that Ginta and I inherited lordship of the wolf clans when Koga died."

"Of course," she replied. "He left you two behind to guard the remainder of the clans, in case of his death. He wanted to leave the lordship in capable hands."

"We're sorry we weren't there for you," came the raspy voice of Ginta.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ginta-san," scoffed the girl. "You were following orders from Lord Koga and it's a good thing you did. Otherwise, the wolf clans would be without decent leadership."

Sesshoumaru and Kagome watched as the wolf demons' expressions grew dark and stormy. "That's just it, Kagome-neesan. We don't lead the wolf clans anymore. We were thrown out of the caves and beaten within an inch of our lives. Ginta's throat was nearly sliced open, which is why he still can't talk very well. I thought I was going to lose him for awhile." Hakkaku sighed and sat down heavily upon the simple wooden chair in the middle of the room and covered his face with his bandaged hands. "It was horrible, and now our brothers are surely suffering as well."

The taiyoukai frowned and moved forward. "Impossible. Every clan leader must declare himself at court. I have reviewed your own claim to leadership, which Jaken accepted in my absence, but no other shifts of power have taken place in the wolf clans."

"Nothing legitimate, surely, Lord Sesshoumaru," muttered the mohawk-crested demon, "but the new lord isn't the type to claim his control. He isn't even a wolf. He's a monkey youkai."

Kagome's eyes widened and she fell to her knees in front of Hakkaku. "You're not serious? Koga's clan in the hands of a non-wolf? Impossible. Even the most powerful demon couldn't stand up to the entire pack, especially with the pair of you to lead them. The wolves loved you!"

"He had an army," gritted out Ginta. "We sacrificed ourselves so that the others wouldn't die."

Hakkaku nodded grimly. "Koga only took volunteers to fight Naraku with you guys, but about half of the clan volunteered, so we were very low in numbers. We couldn't risk the lives of the rest of our brothers. Monkey demons are notoriously clever. The demon said he would allow the lower clans to keep their lives, as long as they bowed down to his power as well. But it was all for a price and we paid it with our blood."

A few silent, crystalline tears escaped Kagome's eyes. "If the leader gives his life, his people will honor that decision," she whispered.

The wolf demon nodded again. "A wolf acts in the best interests of the pack. Our brothers in our clan and the subordinate clans will understand that what we did was for the best." His head snapped up and a vicious light replaced the sad one. "But that doesn't mean it has to stay like this! With your help, Kagome-neesan, I know we can beat this guy!"

Kagome regarded the torn up pair for a moment. "I don't know what I can do, Hakkaku. I'm just one girl."

Leaning back in his chair and smiling, the wolf demon appeared much like she remembered him from earlier, happier times. "You aren't just one _girl_ anymore though, are you Kagome-neesan? I could smell it as soon as I entered the castle that there was a hanyou here. Myoga warned us that you might seem a bit different, but he didn't tell us _how_ different. I'm guessing this was the work of the Jewel?" He swept his hand about in the air and pointed at her crimson ears sticking out from conspicuous red and black hair. "Besides, he told us that you've been staying here when you didn't have to, so that you could rid the world of that demon lord that's messing everything up that we've worked so hard for."

She bit her lip and glanced back at the statuesque taiyoukai before answering. "Do you think the monkey demon who took your clan might work for the demon lord?"

"No idea, but he's certainly taking advantage of the situation. Before he even showed up, we'd been receiving daily reports of mysterious disappearances and deaths among all the wolf clans. One of the lesser lords lost his mate and still hasn't found her."

The hanyou turned around and looked up at the dog demon with her large brown eyes. "We should help them, don't you think? Please, Sesshoumaru-sama? They're your subjects."

"They are not the only ones who have lost their lordship positions," he intoned, his cold amber eyes meeting her gaze without a flicker of sympathy. "We cannot help them all."

"Sesshoumaru!" she cried, dropping the honorific in her distress. "These are my friends! Their comrades gave up their lives in the fight against Naraku. Surely they deserve some reward for voluntarily marching into battle with the most awful presence Japan has known!"

"Calm yourself," the dog demon answered and moved to look over the crown of her head. "The two of you will stay as guests until you heal fully. We will not attack this monkey youkai who has taken your lands and packs directly. I intend to attack the head of this organization, the demon lord who started this wave of chaos."

"Cut off the head of the snake and the body dies with it," choked Ginta, his gravelly voice sounding more ominous than even Sesshoumaru's heavy tones.

The taiyoukai nodded. "Problems will continue until we have taken care of that particular demon lord. Then we shall march out against any more resistance to the reclaiming of our lands."

Hakkaku gave a satisfied bob of the head. "It is a good plan."

The door slid open and the guard returned holding a small wooden chest carved with characters so worn down they were unreadable. His startling blue eyes locked onto the young woman in the room. "My lady, I retrieved the medical supplies, but the healer is attending to a very serious wound that occurred in the training dojo this morning."

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Injuries were rare among his soldiers, and rarer still when it was so serious a healer could not attend to other matters.

"What happened to the guy?" asked Kagome, taking the box from the burly sentry.

The soldier frowned. "It was strange, my lady. He sparred with one of our captains and employed a technique I had never seen before. Needless to say, it was not very effective and the captain accidentally pierced his side. It was almost as if he had _desired_ the injury."

"Will he live?" asked the taiyoukai, surprising everyone in the room. Compassion from the dog demon was the last thing they expected.

"Um… yes, my lord," answered the guard, ignoring his shock. "The healer said it is a grave injury, but that with a couple weeks' rest, he should be fine."

"Two weeks is a long time to be recovering for a youkai," observed Kagome as she cast a long glance at Sesshoumaru. His eyes were practically slits, but she could still see the dangerous light of suspicion. And she was pretty sure she knew what he was thinking. "Thanks for the supplies, anyway. I think you and your friend," she gestured to the other sentry, who had been standing silently in the corner, "can be dismissed now, don't you think, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The dog demon gave a single nod and the guards escaped and shut the door tightly behind them, while Kagome sat down and opened the box.

As she rummaged through, looking for disinfecting herbs and liquids, she murmured, "I know what you're thinking Sesshoumaru. That soldier isn't yours, is he? He's casing the joint."

"I do not know what you mean by 'casing the joint', but I do believe he is a spy. No soldier of mine would allow such an injury in practice. One would have to work very hard for my captain to 'accidentally' injure someone." A soft growl underlined his words as he spoke. "I will go to the infirmary and see this soldier. Take care of the wolves and have Jaken take them to their rooms. Then you must start your lessons with the children."

Before he could step out of the room, Kagome reached her hand out. "Oh wait! I meant to ask you this morning, but could I take the children outside for their lesson? It's going to be cold soon and Rin's flowers are going to die for the winter. I'm sure she'd like to visit them as much as possible."

"Provided they do not serve as a distraction," instructed the taiyoukai, "then you may give their lesson outside this morning. Take a few guards with you though." Then he left.

The girl sighed and took out yards of fresh bandages and the few medicinal herbs she could recognize from her lessons with Kaede. Demons seemed to have a whole battery of herbs that were different from the humans'. She would have to speak and train with the resident healer when she had the chance. She straightened up and beckoned towards Ginta. "Let me see that throat wound. I need to clean it, so it will heal faster." She winked at him. "Then you can talk and laugh again with me, eh Ginta-san?"

Ginta gave her a weak smile and tilted his head up so that she could untie the dirt and blood encrusted cloth wrapped around his neck.

"Kami…" murmured the girl as she watched the bandage fall away from his skin. Three long, ragged claw marks stretched across the side of his neck, and although Kagome wasn't clear on youkai anatomy, it was dangerously close to where the human jugular would be. "Did the monkey demon do this?

The wolf demon nodded carefully and winced when Kagome applied the medicine-soaked cloth to the wound.

"Sorry. I forgot to tell you that this would sting a bit, but it'll be over soon. I just have to clear out the dirt," she explained as she gently wiped away the dried blood. She'd done this a hundred times before with Inuyasha and the others, but Kagome was beginning to realize that she would do it a thousand times more for herself and Sesshoumaru if they went to battle the demon lord. After all, his minion nearly sliced apart Ginta, one of the best wolf warriors she had ever met. As she wrapped the new bandage around his throat, the youkai caught her hand.

"We're sorry about your friends, nee-san," he whispered. "I wish that…"

"Hush, Ginta," interrupted the girl. "I already told you that I understand. You were needed back at the caves. Koga trusted you two."

"He meant afterwards," spoke up Hakkaku. "We're sorry we didn't find out what had happened to you before we met Myoga. We should have looked for you sooner and helped you. You could have stayed with us. You're our sister and we should have taken care of you."

"You thought I was dead though, didn't you?"

"Nobody came back. Not even Koga. We sent a few scouts and they came back with news of a massacre. They identified Naraku's remains and Koga's, as well as all of our brothers'. A distance away, they found signs of your friends and Inuyasha. There was too much blood for them to have lived through it, but their bodies were gone." Hakkaku's eyes lowered to the ground. "We assumed that… that carrion-eaters had gotten them. We never imagined that of all the people there, you would survive."

"They've been buried near Kaede's village. I left the wolves and Koga because I knew you'd be back for them. I understand why you thought I was dead," she assured him as she went to work on the nasty slash in Ginta's arm.

One side of Hakkaku's mouth twisted up into a half-smile. "I have to admit, nee-san, that when I heard rumors of a girl surviving the battle, I hoped it was you. Koga wouldn't have let you die, and Inuyasha wouldn't have either."

"I know. I wish I had had the strength to not let them die," she murmured. For once, tears didn't prickle at the backs of her eyes. Either her heart was beginning to heal or she was numb.

"Kami-sama saved you, nee-san. And he saved you for a reason. Perhaps to save Japan again from this new demon lord."

She tightened the bandage around Ginta's forearm; perhaps a bit too tight, since the wolf flinched, but Kagome didn't notice. "We'll need help from you guys once you heal, you know. You'll be saving Japan just as much as me and Sesshoumaru." It was unnerving to talk so seriously with the wolf brothers. Normally, they'd be joking with each other, Koga or her, lightening the mood despite the worst situations.

Ginta, in a considerably better mood now that he had clean bandages and soothing salves on the wounds, grinned mischievously at the girl. "Speaking of our host, Lord Sesshoumaru's scent is all over you, nee-san. Is there something you want to tell us?"

Kagome scowled and tapped the wolf on the fresh bandage she had placed around his leg.

"Ow! Geez, nee-san, if you didn't want to tell us, we would have listened."

"Uh-huh. Sure." She secured the last bandage on Ginta and moved over a few feet to begin on Hakkaku's wounds. But before she could even take off the first piece of cloth, she sighed and let her hands fall. "To tell the truth, I don't know what's happening. Everybody I would talk to about this, my mother, Sango, Miroku, Shippo, even Inuyasha… they're all gone. Either dead or I'm too afraid to go and talk to them."

Ginta, his face slightly twisted in pain from moving, slid off his chair and onto the floor next to the kneeling girl. The smile had long been dropped as he placed his uninjured hand on Kagome's shoulder. "You're family, nee-san."

She giggled a bit, thankful that he hadn't said anything so corny as 'we're listening'. "I know you are. But I can't talk about something that I don't know anything about. We're friends and I'd be thoroughly surprised if we turned out to be anything more." Her voice was sincere, but her conscience began to nag at her for bending the truth. She did after all, wake up in Sesshoumaru's arms five days earlier. The weird part, the part she hadn't told anyone, was that she hadn't had a disturbing dream that night or any night since. Her sleep was restful, free of traumatic images.

Hakkaku and Ginta didn't look convinced, but after exchanging a look that Kagome couldn't read, they let the matter drop.

"Alright, you boys are done," she announced after ten minutes of idle chitchat and first aid. "I'd go down to the healer tomorrow afternoon if I were you though. Those wounds are still irritated from your journey."

"Will do, nee-san."

She smiled and began to pack up the box of supplies, although the wolves had exhausted most of it. "Come on, let's get out of this stuffy place. Jaken should be waiting outside to take you to your rooms. I have to go give the children their morning lessons. Perhaps biology, since we're going outside."

Opening the door, Kagome was faced with a very frustrated toad demon. "There you are! Who do you think you are, taking so long? You made me wait forever!" he hissed, his tiny arms crossed, hugging his Staff of Heads to his chest. "Do you think I live to serve _you_? I have many important duties in this castle!"

"Well, Jaken-san, why didn't you just knock and come in?"

Jaken turned his head away and glared at each of the guards in turn. "They wouldn't let me in," he sniffed. "Which Lord Sesshoumaru is _sure_ to hear about."

The wolf brothers laughed at the snobby imp behind Kagome, but the hanyou was completely serious as she looked over at the sentry to the left of the doorway. "Why didn't you let Jaken into the room, private?"

The lanky weasel demon's lip twitched ever so slightly. "Lord Sesshoumaru told us that no one was to interrupt you and your friends, my lady."

"Certainly that would not apply to me!" sputtered Jaken.

"He was quite clear in his instructions," answered the guard, training his eyes at a point on the wall above Jaken's head.

The toad muttered a few choice words under his breath and then tossed a dirty look at the two wolf youkai. "Follow me. I'll show you your rooms," he grumbled, not in the mood to give them the deference they deserved as rightful lords.

"Um…" Hakkaku failed to guard his reluctance as he watched the irritated toad glare at everyone in turn. "Actually, we were thinking of going with nee-san to see the children. It'll be nice to rest outside."

Before Jaken could begin to use vulgar language again, Kagome stepped in. "Have you found anything on that pendant, Jaken-san? You must be working very hard. I've hardly seen you all week!"

This attempt to smooth things over fell flat when the imp turned his resentful, yellow bulbous eyes up to the girl. "Of course I'm working hard! That's what you're taking me away from! Sesshoumaru-sama is counting on my research to help in the fight!"

"Ah yes… well, Jaken-san, you probably want to get back to that, don't you?" she said rapidly, walking away. "Ginta, Hakkaku, come on and I'll introduce you to the kids."

"Coming!" they chanted back, following her surprisingly fast for injured youkai.

They tumbled into the hallway, their laughter echoing off the walls as they quickly made their way out to the gardens in the back of the castle.

"Actually, the fresh air really will do us some good," observed Hakkaku as they came within sight of the door. "On the way here, we hid in so many horrible, dank caves that I never want to see another cavern as long as I live."

"You _lived_ in a cave with your clan for years!"

Ginta scowled. "Yeah, after some youkai burnt our old place down. Still, first order of business when we get back to our clan is rebuilding the old castle," he rasped.

"It was kind of _barbaric_," agreed Hakkaku.

"And the women left," reflected Ginta mournfully.

"I'd noticed," she mentioned dryly. "Where did they go?"

Hakkaku pushed open door and bowed as Kagome passed. The grounds were glowing a bright, healthy green, with splashes of color where the flowers rested near the soil. The blue sky was cloudless and Kagome could almost smell the warmth emanating up from the stone path.

They allowed their eyes to adjust to the bright morning sunlight before Hakkaku answered. "The females didn't exactly relish the idea of living in close quarters with the males for an extended period of time. A mate is one thing, but they're rather protective of their privacy. They wouldn't accompany us to the cave."

"Kagome-san!" called Rin's flowery voice.

The hanyou shaded her eyes and spotted the girl by the sakura tree with Washi perched in the branches above her head. To her surprise, the imperturbable taiyoukai was with them, sitting on the ground on the opposite side of the tree trunk from his ward.

"I thought you were looking after that injured soldier," she said to him, after hugging the children.

"He will be restricted to bed rest for quite some time, so I left. It then came to my attention that it was time to change the guard. I do not allow my soldiers to become overly tired, so my presence was required until the new detail arrives." He spoke evenly, but his eyes were on the wolf brothers, who were introducing themselves to the fascinated children. Washi circled them, his wings beating slowly, as he examined their unique fur clothing and war-torn bodies.

"Ginta and Hakkaku said they would help us," she mentioned casually, trying to allay his watchdog act.

"This Sesshoumaru needs no assistance."

"Of course not, but it'd be nice. It's just the two of us now."

"One."

Her head turned so sharply the cracking of her neck momentarily deafened her. "What did you say?"

"Uh-oh," squeaked Washi from a few feet away. Demon powers or not, he could smell trouble. "Let's get out of here."

Kagome's arm sprang out, although her eyes didn't move from Sesshoumaru's deadly angelic face. "Don't you go anywhere. Now, Sesshoumaru, what did you say and what did you mean by it?"

His face was unforgiving. "I am the only one who will be fighting the demon lord."

"You _promised_ that I would get to fight Kikyo."

"I do not recall anything of that sort," he said, very aware that he had all _but_ promised her, "but I do recall promising to protect you."

"You promised you would help me."

"This Sesshoumaru will live up to his oath. I will destroy this demon lord, thereby helping you."

"That's not what I meant, and you damn well know it!" she hissed. Her eyes narrowed, an eerie duplication of the taiyoukai's own dangerous glare. "What are you playing at? Have you learned something that I don't know?"

"I have not." He stared back at her, unblinking. If he tore his gaze away first, he would be giving up some of his power to the girl.

"What's wrong with you then? You're training me to fight," her voice raised to a pitch that was almost a whine. "I'll be ready!"

"Doubtful. I have told you many times that you have much to learn."

She bit her lip and looked away. She was losing the argument and she wasn't entirely sure why. Perfectly within her rights to claim vengeance, Kagome couldn't understand why Sesshoumaru was suddenly so reluctant to let her fight. Perhaps he _did_ know something she didn't. Perhaps he knew the identity of the mysterious lord.

"Kagome-san?"

The hanyou refocused her eyes to see the small human girl a few feet away, tracing circles in the grass with her bare toe. "Yes, Rin?" she asked, her voice suddenly worn and threadbare.

"Will you start teaching us and stop fighting with Sesshoumaru-sama? Please?" Her doe-like brown eyes pleaded the hanyou, her hands clasped behind her back.

Kagome sighed in defeat. "Yes, Rin-chan. I'll be right there." Glaring back over her shoulder at the taiyoukai, she murmured, "This isn't over. I _will_ fight."

"Hm." His eyelids slid closed.

Infuriated, but trying to conceal it, the hanyou turned back to Rin. "Okay, Rin-chan. What would you and Washi like to do? I was thinking of a little lesson in modern biology. Not that you guys will understand what a phylum is." She was talking more to herself than to the children, completely oblivious to the fact that they, along with the wolf brothers, were staring at the horizon.

"Mama?"

"Yes, Washi?" she said, snapping out of her insensible state.

"I think it's going to rain," he observed, hovering above the ground and pointing to the dark cloud cresting over a faraway hill. "Shouldn't we go inside?"

Sure enough, Kagome could feel the barometric pressure drop as he spoke. A chill swept through the garden, and the color seemed to seep out of the flowers and foliage. Behind her, Sesshoumaru was rising to his feet, his hand upon the hilt of his sword. They all watched the cloud fly across the sky, covering the blue with its gray mist. It was moving much too fast to be a normal force of nature. "Kids," she whispered, "get inside. Ginta, Hakkaku, if you could please go with them."

The wolves nodded and began to usher the girl and demon towards the door, but Washi was reluctant. "Mama. Please come with us. Don't stay out here," he pled.

"Go, Washi. I'll be fine," she answered, not even looking at him. A sing of metal upon metal and Tetsusaiga was unsheathed. Next to her, Tokijin was crackling with the taiyoukai's energy.

Ginta tugged on the eagle child's ankle, trying to pull him down from the air, but he wouldn't comply. "I don't believe you!" he cried. "Mama!" The wolves were finally making him descend to the earth and towards the castle.

Before they could reach the door, however, a rushing sound filled Kagome's sensitive ears. She pressed her free hand against the crimson triangle, crushing it to her skull. It was so deafening that she was afraid her ears would bleed. Flicking Tetsusaiga, just as Inuyasha used to do, it transformed into the enormous Fang. "What is it?" she screamed towards the taiyoukai.

"Tengu," he snarled.

"Where? I don't see anything!" The girl's arms were starting to strain under the weight of the Tetsusaiga as she watched the skies. Besides the noise, there was nothing that would be out of the ordinary for a thunderstorm, but even the guards seemed to have sensed something. They were running along the top of the thick wall, yelling orders over the din.

Four creatures materialized in the air above the children's heads, twenty yards to their left. Enormous leathery wings jutted out from their shoulders, just as a hawk-like beak jutted out instead of a proper nose. Unexpectedly, they had lithe bodies, not the goons she had imagined. "Sesshoumaru!" Kagome screamed, pointing to the intruders. 'How? How did they get past us? Tengu aren't invisible!' The thoughts pounded through her brain as she ran towards the tengu.

The white form of the taiyoukai leapt over her, his claws wrapped tightly around Tokijin. But he could not use it effectively: one of the tengu held Washi around his waist, dragging him upwards. Ginta was dangling off the ground, still holding onto the eagle's leg. Hakkaku was meanwhile pulling Rin towards the castle, the other three tengu cutting him off periodically and forcing the wolf to change direction. The tengu were cackling through this sick game of cat and mouse.

Kagome sprang upwards and swung the Tetsusaiga as accurately as possible, missing the large bluish tengu teasing Hakkaku by several feet. The tengu turned and began to taunt her as she landed roughly upon the grass.

A scream of terror echoed through the garden as Sesshoumaru ripped out the throat of the tengu holding Washi. The girl turned in time to see the boy splattered in blood, but he stayed aloft. Ginta dropped to the ground, wiping his brow and turning to face the next tengu.

At the demise of their comrade, the remaining kidnappers ceased their cackles and pursued Rin with renewed fervor. One shrieked something that resembled "we will not fail this time!"

One of the smaller tengu, mud green in color, snagged Rin's wrist. Hakkaku spun around and slashed at his arm, but his claws glanced off the demon's skin. In desperation, he pulled Rin closer and looked over to Kagome. "Kill him!" he yelled.

The girl glanced down at Tetsusaiga and murmured a quick apology to Inuyasha's soul before dropping it to the ground, where it transformed back into its battered state. She leapt into the air with a loud cry and swiped at the tengu, leaving golden streaks in the air where her claws had passed through.

One of the bands of light hit its target, slicing the demon's forearm badly. He yelped in pain and let go of the little girl, who Hakkaku gathered up and sprang through the doorway into the castle.

Sesshoumaru, who had easily dispatched the other two by decapitation, captured the green tengu around the throat and threw him bodily to the ground. Landing with grace, although his eyes were blazing red, the taiyoukai placed a foot upon the tengu's chest and snarled as he plunged Tokijin into the demon's gut and into the ground beneath the body. The sword went in up to its hilt before he could breathe again.

As the blood seeped into his white sleeve, staining it scarlet, the clouds began to clear above them and the pressure rose into normal levels.

Sweat was dripping from Kagome, more from her fear than her exertion. "What the _hell_ was that about? Was that a suicide mission? Are they _insane_?" She was hyperventilating. It was far from her first fight on her own, without Inuyasha or the others, but it was the first time she had cared about the outcome. It was starting to sink in that she might have only survived through previous battles because she fought with reckless abandon, not caring whether she lived or died.

But now she cared and that fact surprised her to the core.

Washi wrapped his arms around her waist, although he could barely reach it. She wiped the blood from his face and hair, before looking up at Sesshoumaru, who was inspecting the bodies. "Rin is okay too?"

"Yes." His voice quivered with something that Kagome recognized as rage. His eyes were no longer glowing, but they held a burning fire.

Hakkaku reemerged from the castle, peeking around the door to check for remaining enemies, before allowing Rin to come out. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" she cried, running towards her beloved father figure. She stopped short when she saw the blood upon his arm. "You're hurt, Sesshoumaru-sama!"

His shoulders relaxed slightly upon sight of his ward. "Do not concern yourself, Rin. The blood is not mine."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Nami's voice floated from the doorway, causing everyone to turn and stare. "There was a commotion," she explained, flushing from slight embarrassment. Her eyes widened when she saw the remainders of the four demons. "Are those tengu? I came to see what was happening, but I never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. The guards are in an uproar, you know."

"I guess we should get them on clean-up duty," remarked Kagome, looking around at the mess they had made in Rin's garden. Blood and pieces of tengu flesh were everywhere. The little girl didn't seem to mind too much, however. She was silently inspecting the taiyoukai for wounds from her spot a few feet away. "For now, I think we should go inside."

"Agreed," responded the dog demon. "I will inform the guards of the situation."

He swept past Nami and into the castle, while the female water demon blushed an even deeper shade of red. After he had gone, she looked up at Kagome. "Did I say something wrong?"

"You're much too self-conscious," answered the hanyou, stooping to pick up a now very grimy Tetsusaiga. "You didn't do anything. He's just mad about the attack. Don't worry about it."

"I guess…"

"By the way, Nami-san, these are my friends, Ginta and Hakkaku." She gestured to each one as she surveyed the damage. The irises lining the path were lost causes, as were the forget-me-nots in the patch were Sesshoumaru's first victim had landed. And blood probably wasn't going to contribute to the health of the callalilies by the mud green tengu's body. The hanyou would have to get Rin inside before she realized this.

"Let's go. The smell of blood is making me dizzy."

The others went in without question, going through the motions necessary after meeting someone new, but Kagome stood still in the bloody garden watching the clouds to the east. They still hadn't completely dissipated, although they appeared to be much more normal. There would be storm tonight.

She shivered. The sweat upon her body was drying and leaving her exposed to the cool air. Even the reborn sun didn't warm her blood. The tengu were dead but a presence remained, watching the mansion. Watching her. It gave her the creeps.

Staring at the gray clouds upon the horizon, Kagome's hands rolled themselves into fists. "I'm not going to be beaten, you know!" she called out to the approaching storm. "I'll kill you, Kikyo!"

A streak of lightening raced across the sky in response, the snap of thunder echoing in her delicate ears. It was still too far away to hurt her.

She turned and strode back into the castle.

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That night, as she sat in bed, the storm raged outside. The wind and rain slammed against her glass door, threatening to break it and flashes of light illuminated the city below with a ghostly shine. Kagome was quite glad that she was snuggled into bed, under the thick covers. It was _very_ late, about three to four in the morning, she estimated. She couldn't fall asleep with the racket outside, but it surprised her that the kids hadn't even come to bug her yet.

'Rin is probably not allowed to disturb Sesshoumaru at night,' she mused, 'so she won't come to me. I don't know about Washi. Perhaps he's not afraid.'

The lamps were still lit, giving her room a warm glow and causing her to want to curl up with a good book. She reached over to her bedside table and picked up the book there. She was still reading the _Genji Shibukawa: Tales from the Kojiki_. It was a dense text. Each god had different relationships with every other one and it was difficult to keep track of who wanted to kill whom, since few of them were overtly evil.

She began thumbing through it to find her place. Several of the tales were illustrated and she paused on these pages to admire the artwork. It was hand-done, even she could see that. The gentle curves and vibrant colors had to have taken months or years to do. This was an expensive text, even when it was new. Kagome made a mental note to allow the children to see the artwork, but not to allow them to take the book back to their rooms. She had a feeling if it was destroyed, it would be on her head.

Kagome looked out the window once again, where the trees were swaying in the wind, their leaves being ripped off by force. Tomorrow, the groundskeeper would have quite a full day. Sesshoumaru did not appreciate an untidy home.

Her thoughts turned to the taiyoukai. He hadn't spoken much for the remainder of the day after the attack, only to order Jaken back to work on deciphering the pendant. That was the only lead they had. When the hanyou had checked upon him before dinner, he announced that they would leave to destroy the demon lord the minute Jaken had figured out the symbol, so she should keep a bag packed.

His anger washed throughout the castle. In fact, he sounded so serious that she had skipped dinner and packed her yellow bag, which now sat on the floor in the corner. The taiyoukai really was furious about the second attack on Rin if he was willing to rush out before discussing his plans at length. She had no idea if he knew where they would be heading in pursuit of the demon lord.

"Males," she murmured aloud, "they're all the same."

She flipped to a new section she had not read yet and began to skim the pages. It began to detail a fight between the gods, which rained down upon the earth and killed 'more humans than one could count in a lifetime'.

Shuddering, she turned the page, intending to skip to the end. But her hand froze above the crispy white paper before she could.

"Oh, Kami in heaven…" she said, tracing the symbol with her finger. The star, piercing the orb with one of its rays, sat upon the page in a deep crimson red color. She had found it, in the last place she would ever have suspected.

Kagome began to speed-read the story, looking for clues as to what the symbol meant. 'No wonder Jaken couldn't find it!' she thought, her heart beating faster and faster. 'He's been looking in demon and human genealogies and throughout the history texts. No one would think to look inside a book of legends!'

"There!" she cried aloud, finding the name associated with the symbol. It should have filled her with dread, but the girl was too excited to care at the moment.

He would be pleased… He would be so _pleased_. He might even smile. The mere thought made her heart patter into a virtual frenzy. She vaguely wondered if she could die from a heart attack.

Throwing off the covers, she slid towards the door and pulled it open. It would be hard to convince the guards to let her wake up the taiyoukai, but she had to. This was beyond important. She skittered up towards the sentry upon the right side of Sesshoumaru's door.

"You… you have to let me in to see him," she breathed, trying not to be so loud as to wake up the children across the hall.

Before the guard could reply with an almost certain 'no', the door swung open.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome said happily, turning her head.

But it wasn't. Instead, Nami stepped out into the hall, freezing like a frightened deer when she saw the hanyou. "Ka… Kagome-san!" she exclaimed.

The girl narrowed her eyes, examining Nami's features. Her garments were beautiful, possibly the best Nami owned, and yet were rather crumpled and looked as if they had been hastily thrown on. Her gorgeous turquoise hair, normally so smooth and flowing, was in a total state of disarray, and tied back as if trying to hide the fact. Most noticeably, her tender blue skin was flushed and her eyes were sparkling, despite the surprised expression they held.

She felt her heart stop as she put the pieces together, cursing herself for being so stupid. "Good evening, Nami-san," responded the hanyou stiffly.

The damnable sight of the water demoness didn't hold a candle to what happened next, however. The taiyoukai, with a bare chest and bare feet stepped into the open doorway, looking only slightly less mussed than Nami. His eyes widened upon seeing Kagome, but he didn't say anything, instead opting to lean upon the door jam.

Kagome wanted to cry. She felt the tears building up behind her eyes, warning her that she couldn't stay there if she wanted to keep any decorum. Her gaze flickered between the two demons. Nami appeared thoroughly embarrassed, her head hanging and her skin now completely flushed. The taiyoukai was staring back at the hanyou, his expression unreadable.

"I… I'm sorry I disturbed you," she finally said, her voice coming out like a harsh whisper. "I'll just talk to you in the morning, Sesshoumaru-sama." Her hands tightened around the book she held, smearing the sweat upon her palms.

Her feet didn't seem to want to move, however, and she remained where she was, her eyes flickering all over. The walls, the ceiling, her feet. Anywhere but their faces.

"I must go," observed Nami, her tone filled with trepidation. "Good evening, Sesshoumaru-sama, Kagome-san." She bowed quickly and all but ran down the hall and out the doors leading to the bridge.

The hanyou and taiyoukai watched her leave and then turned back to each other, their eyes locking in a stable gaze.

They didn't say anything, but then again, they didn't really have to. 'Why did you do it?' pled Kagome silently, her brown eyes misting over with tears and speaking for her. 'Do you hate me? I know I'm not good enough for you, but do you have to hurt me so badly?'

His own expression changed, answering her unspoken questions. 'There is nothing between us. I have no regrets for what I have done, however much it may hurt you.'

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I know… I'm freaking evil. I would reassure you, but it's gonna get worse before it gets better I'm afraid. So… onto the review responses!

Review responses removed due to ban


	14. Conversations with Demons

A/N: Wow… NEVER have I gotten so many angry reviews… threatening me and the characters. And believe me, I got some pretty strong threats… LoL. So, this is just to tell you to STOP WORRYING. Really… I promise.

I am APPALLED with myself for taking so long with this chapter, but after all those reviews, I wanted to get things _just_ right. I hope I did it justice.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 14: Conversations with Demons

Kagome opened her eyes and breathed in the scent of faint mildew, hanging in the air after the storm. Dripping water echoed in her ears, dropping onto her small balcony outside. The entire castle was waterlogged, no doubt, but she knew that that would not stop Sesshoumaru's training session. Nor would the fact that she had caught him with Nami not three hours previously.

Rolling out of bed, the hanyou placed her feet upon the cool wooden floor and unsteadily stood up. Her head pounding, her vision swimming, Kagome felt as if she had a monumental hangover, but was painfully aware that it was not alcohol that had caused this. Although she hadn't shed a tear during the night, her brief snatches of sleep were plagued with horrifying nightmares with images of blood and demons that mashed together in her memory. When she had been awake, usually in a cold sweat, she envisioned Sesshoumaru's heartless expression before she had retreated back into her room.

Her heart was in pain, she could feel it beginning to pierce through her chest even harder now that she was awake and recalling earlier events. She remembered this feeling from when Inuyasha would run off to Kikyo, but she hadn't realized it had hurt this much. But then, one tends to forget pain when it's replaced with joy, and Inuyasha had done more than enough to heal her wounds.

She doubted Sesshoumaru would be so inclined to do the same.

She walked over to her wardrobe and began to dig through the virtual mountain of clothes Sesshoumaru had bestowed upon her when she had moved in. In the back, her demon slayer outfit and miko garb sat quietly among the silks and linens of the royal gifts. She pulled out the leather taijiya suit and began the struggle to get into it, despite the humidity.

After a five minute fight and success, Kagome strapped on the armor plates as quickly as possible and tucked Tetsusaiga under her sash. She realized that wearing her demon slaying outfit was probably unwise without the immediate presence of the taiyoukai, but she didn't care at the moment. Proving that she was strong and ready for anything was _exactly_ what she wished to convey at the moment, and if he became angry, all the better. At least that would show that he cared about something.

She yawned, yet another sign of her terrible half-night of unrest, but refused to answer the call of her soft bed. Instead, she threw open the double doors to her balcony and stepped out into the damp autumn air. It was bracing to say the least, and even in her leather, Kagome wrapped her arms around her shoulders. The grounds were soggy, stained to a dark green by the rain. Two gardeners were attending to the remains of the bloody battle of the previous afternoon.

As she watched the pair of youkai, who were colored rather like Easter eggs, Kagome reflected that the battle had seemed to take place ages ago. And yet, the male demon, with his long lilac hair and seafoam green skin, was turning over the sticky earth fresh with blood. The female, with cream yellow skin and orange sherbet hair, was replanting the flowers torn up in the abduction attempt.

Perhaps that was her problem, she mused. Perhaps the opulence of royal life got to her brain and had tricked her into believing, even for a moment, that she would be worthy of the demon lord.

But in reality, she was no better than the gardeners tending to a little girl's obsession on a cold morning, hard work that would soon go to waste when the flowers would die or go into hibernation for the winter. Besides his promise, there was no reason that Sesshoumaru was keeping her around. Surely there were better tutors available for the children? Surely he had spies that could figure out everything she had told him?

Kagome sighed and walked back into her room. She wasn't going to get any answers waiting around for a tight-lipped taiyoukai to fetch her for morning lessons. She would go to him and tell him good luck and good life, but she would be going after the demon lord herself. His promise to her would be dissolved.

Firm with this decision, the hanyou approached her thick wooden doors leading out to the hall when she heard the murmur of voices. The guards were talking amongst themselves, she realized, something she had not heard them do since she had arrived.

Pressing her ear against the crack in the door, she frowned as she intruded into the middle of the conversation.

"…gone by lunchtime. Trust me, I was there last night," said one of the guards, a deep, throaty voice that spoke of used car salesmen and infomercial hosts.

"I would keep your voice down, idiot. She could be awake." The second voice was closer to her door, edged with nerves. He could probably hear her breath, heartbeat, even her stomach begging for breakfast.

"Who cares? She's got to know that she isn't wanted around here anymore. Which reminds me, Tadao owes me five gold pieces," the first one answered.

"Why?" A third voice joined, young and timid.

"Well, he lost the bet didn't he?" The used car salesman voice purred with amusement. "He bet that Sesshoumaru would take after his father and go for the half-human. I bet he'd choose anyone _but_ her."

The young guard piped up once again, still scared of a demon that had seniority. "But he hasn't chosen. Sesshoumaru-sama hasn't declared a mate yet."

"Hey," snarled the first, "_you_ weren't there, runt. I know what I saw and I'll swallow my sword if our general goes for a half-breed."

Kagome, who had been struggling against the urge to gasp in disgust, chose this moment to open the door and confront the foolish youkai who had been speaking so horridly. He wasn't hard to spot, the dark spots on his cheeks and defiance in his eyes gave him away immediately. Just the sort of look anyone, human or youkai, gave to someone they both hated and were frightened of.

She heard the collective beat of the guard's hearts speed up as they noticed what she was wearing and how she was running the tip of her finger along the hilt of Tetsusaiga. Keeping her eyes upon the offending sentry, Kagome walked down the hall slowly, letting her heels click upon the wooden floor. She finally paused before the youkai who was red-skinned and orange-eyed. Probably a cousin of the fire demons, she mused. In her experience, any demon with fire powers but without the prestige of the main clan had a major inferiority complex.

If she was going to leave, she would at least give the guards something _real_ to talk about.

"What's your name?"

The defiance remained, but the color began to drain from his complexion. Speaking behind the back of an honored guest or the taiyoukai was one thing, but ignoring an order was considered treason. "Bunjiro."

Kagome crossed her arms. She had once learned that this was supposed to be intimidating, but since the youkai had about a foot of height on her, she found it difficult. She quickly switched to a different tactic, fixing Bunjiro with an angry stare. "Well, Bunjiro, if I hear about any more bets on my personal life _or_ Sesshoumaru-sama's, he'll be the first to know." She arched an eyebrow. "And I suggest giving Inutaisho his proper title; he isn't your subordinate. And he's certainly not your friend."

She held his gaze for a few more moments and then turned on her heel to leave. On the way out, she spotted the kid that had questioned the fire youkai. Just like Bunjiro, he was easy to pick out, with eyes that danced in nervousness and clammy skin. Kagome made a mental note to speak to him later and to learn his name. Sesshoumaru appreciated loyalty, and would want to know this soldier's willingness to stand up to an insulting comrade.

Her stomach jolted as she remembered for the first time in five minutes that Sesshoumaru would probably no longer listen to her, much less take her advice. As she crossed the bridge, she decided it didn't matter. Today he would listen, regardless of what would happen later. She had to tell him what she found the night before, the real identity of the demon lord.

Yes, he would listen.

Before she could even steel her nerves to face the taiyoukai, Kagome was faced with yet another challenge. On the other side of the bridge, inside the warm main castle, Nami was waiting for the hanyou.

She looked terrible. Her blue hair was unwashed and tied back into a messy bun, her cobalt eyes were rimmed with red and her clothes were rumpled. Obviously _someone_ had spent the rest of her night crying. Uncontrollably too, if appearances didn't deceive.

Kagome wavered between anger and pity for a moment, finally settling on cold indifference. "Good morning, Nami-san."

The water demoness bowed deeply. "Good morning, Kagome-san. I would like to speak to you, if you have the time. Privately, please."

"How about going out on the bridge?" clipped the hanyou, thinking that if conversation became too unbearable, she could escape by jumping down two flights to the ground. Without waiting for an answer, she turned and retraced her steps onto the damp wooden bridge.

Nami, hesitating for a moment, followed with her small feminine steps, her silk kimono whispering on the floor.

Kagome leaned against the railing, ignoring the water staining her leather-clad arms, as she waited for Nami to make herself comfortable as possible. Behind her and out of sight, the water demoness arranged her yellow silk garb so that the rain would not stain anything. Silk that fine was almost unattainable in times of war and it looked as if the West was heading that way. A war to end all wars of the demon kingdoms. "What did you want to talk to me about?" murmured the hanyou, once the rustling of cloth stopped.

"I have been awake all night, Kagome-san…" Nami began.

"I am aware of _that_." Annoyance began to take hold, making the hanyou's stomach churn with unease. She disliked becoming angry, but Nami was already well on her way to forcing her down that road. It had been almost a week since the last episode of what Washi affectionately called her "slightly strange" behavior, and Kagome wasn't looking forward to reviving it.

Heat radiated from the water demon's cheeks. "Of course. Forgive me. I meant to say that I have been thinking over the past few hours and I have come to a decision."

Kagome waited as a pregnant pause set in, finally prompting the conversation with a disinterested, "Oh?"

"I have requested a transfer, Kagome-san. I will no longer attend to the diplomatic needs of my clan. I have decided to return to my home and await reassignment," she said, the words tumbling out as if they burned her tongue.

"I see."

"I will be gone within a month. I have heard that Inutaisho is preparing to leave to hunt down the demon lord. He is rumored to be taking you with him. I will be gone by the time you return."

The hanyou turned around, placing the small of her back against the rail and staring at the youkai with dark, angry eyes. She hoped that the demoness wasn't implying what she _thought_ she was implying. "Feel free to stay. I will not be returning."

Nami frowned. "But why not? This is your home now."

"I'll be dead. And if by some miracle I live through this, I will be leaving Sesshoumaru's company."

"Why?" pled the demoness.

"He has no need for me. Surely you can see that," hissed the girl, getting more annoyed by the second. "I have no right to be here. Sesshoumaru's new mate will take care of the children."

This was clearly not the path the water youkai had intended for this conversation, as she shook her head violently. "No, you don't understand! Please, Kagome-san, stay! _I_ am leaving. I have no right to be here!"

Fury bubbled up within Kagome's chest, scorching her heart to a blackened crisp. Balling her hands into fists, she stood up straight and snarled, "Do you think I need _pity_ from you? Do you think that I _buy_ this act of yours? You wanted him, you got him! Stay and claim your prize, I will not degrade myself by fighting. Desperation is not _my_ tactic."

Nami backed up against the other side of the overpass. "That's… that's not what I meant, Kagome-san! Please!"

The door cracked open and the guard poked his head out into the storm on the bridge. "Um, my lady?" he addressed Kagome. "Is there a problem? I sensed some anger and…"

"Get back to duty!" she snapped, barely giving the sentry a glance. "We're fine!"

The guard, much to Nami's distress, retreated instantly, clicking the door back into place. The pause did give her a chance to regain the floor of the rapidly deteriorating discourse. She knew it would be foolish to say once again make implications about pity, so the water youkai cleverly focused on something that would stop the hanyou in her tracks. Or so she fervently hoped. "Kagome-san, please listen to me. I'm not leaving because I feel sorry for you." She shuddered as this statement produced a growl from Kagome's throat. "I'm leaving because he loves _you_!"

The hanyou froze, her mask of anger sliding off and leaving her jaw hanging loose. _That_ wasn't what she expected. "What are you talking about?" she whispered in awe.

Nami, frightened by the sudden change, pressed her back against the railing. "He loves you. He came to my room and he was so on edge, I asked what was wrong. He wouldn't tell me and I foolishly believed that it was the threat of war. I have been in this palace for years and I have never seen Sesshoumaru-sama as anything but calm and collected. Last night, it seemed as if he was ready to tear the city apart." She sniffed a bit. "I'm so sorry, Kagome-san. I didn't realize what was _truly_ wrong until I went into the hall and saw you. Then I put the pieces together."

Kagome's heart began to beat once again, speeding up to incredible speeds as she began to read between the lines of Nami's little speech. "What pieces?" Her voice was becoming hysterical.

"You love him too, Kagome-san. I know you do!" answered the water demon, still unsure whether she should flee or stay.

The hanyou shut her eyes tightly, making her face scrunch up. "No! No, I don't." 

Shaking her head, willing her heart to calm itself, Nami nodded. "Yes, you do. Your face last night spoke of the ultimate betrayal. You were so hurt, your heart was breaking. I could see it. I could _hear_ it break. It is hard to believe that I did not see it earlier."

"If my heart is broken, Nami-san, it happened when Inuyasha died." She covered her face with her clawed hands, but no sound of crying emerged.

"It's okay, Kagome-san," assured Nami, stepping a few feet closer. She held out a hand towards Kagome's bent shoulder.

But the hanyou spoke, her voice muffled, before Nami could come within a foot of her trembling leather encased form. "Please leave, Nami-san. Please."

Nami dropped her arm and her gaze. "Of course, Kagome-san." She blinked away a few tears, realizing that she may never have another chance at reconciliation with her friend. "I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry, Kagome-san."

The miko kept her face covered until she heard the door open and close again, leaving her alone on the bridge. When she lifted her head once again, she realized that it was raining again, a soft drizzle that covered the grounds in a mist. Nami was gone, her scent quickly growing stale.

She slid down onto the ground. 'Why did I get angry?' she asked herself. 'I told Nami when we met that I had no interest in Sesshoumaru. And she told me that she did have an interest. But she's wrong. I am _not_ in love with him!'

The guard from a few minutes previous opened the door once again and peered around the corner. "My lady? Forgive me, but is everything alright? Nami-san was crying."

Kagome sighed in frustration. She shouldn't have allowed herself to get so angry. She had probably just lost one of her very few friends. "Yeah, I'm fine. She will be too. Would you happen to know where Sesshoumaru-sama is at the moment?"

"I believe he's in the garden, my lady."

She stood up and walked past the sentry into the castle, thanking him quietly. Without pausing, without thinking, she made her way down to the ground level and out into Rin's garden. The gardeners were still there, digging through the sticky maroon dirt. The scent of dried blood still hovered in the air, like a swarm of flies.

As she wended her way down the path, the female stood up. Up close, Kagome realized how beautiful the youkai was with her knee-length sherbet hair and almond black eyes. Her smooth yellow complexion only crinkled slightly as she smiled and bowed towards the hanyou.

"Hello."

"Good morning, my lady." Beside her, the male nodded his head in greeting, coupled with a jovial smile.

"I hope that the battle didn't put you two out of your way too much."

The demoness shrugged. "It is our job, my lady."

"Are you friends of Rin?"

The female's grin broadened. "We are. How did my lady guess?"

"Rin would adore anyone who takes care of her flowers. And I've noticed the servants tend to adore her in return."

"We do," spoke up the male. "She is a good child. Not like many of the children here."

"Haru!" admonished the female, although she was still smiling. "That is not nice to say, especially in front of our lady. She may think they are sweet."

Kagome shook her head. "Don't worry about it. But I hope you don't think that about Washi?"

"No, my lady. He is a good companion for Lady Rin," answered Haru. "My cousin and I have often spoke of her need to have a friend. So many of the nobles' children ignore her, usually on their parents' orders, despite what Sesshoumaru-sama commands. Haven't we said she needed someone her own age, Asa? Someone besides the servants, that is."

"True enough," agreed Asa solemnly.

A flash of white attracted Kagome from the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw that Sesshoumaru stood on top of the defensive wall fifty yards away to her left, looking down upon them. She scowled, knowing full well that he could see her. "I think I have to go," she observed.

"Hmm, yes. I see that our lord wishes to speak to you," said Asa, following Kagome's line of sight. Before the hanyou could move, she stretched out her hand and touched her lightly on her arm. "Lady Kagome, we have faith in you. Haru and I do, that is. You will be successful on your journey. I can feel it."

Slightly startled, Kagome could only manage a nod. "Yes, yes… thank you," she finally croaked, before saying goodbye and walking towards the wall in the back of the garden. It was becoming a morning of strange encounters and she hoped that Sesshoumaru would not continue the trend. She just wanted to speak her part and get out of there. It was hardly seven in the morning and she already wanted to crawl back into bed.

She reached the base of the wall and looked up at the cold, pale taiyoukai. They stared at each other for a moment. He made no move or sound, so she sighed and leapt up thirty feet to land beside him. The broad wall was wide enough for four men to walk abreast and had quite a view of the forest behind the city and the fields to the north. Behind them and across the grounds, Asa began to sing something that sounded like "I've Been Working on the Railroad" but without words. It was rather strange.

Her heart was aching again, but she forced herself to look up at him. "Why do you have this damn wall anyway?" she said as way of a greeting. "Any half-decent demon can jump it."

"Its mere presence prevents invasion."

"Even though some demons can _step_ over it?"

"_Yes_."

"Hmm… okay." She ran her fingers along the rough outer wall that protected the guards from falling. It was pockmarked and worn, doubtless from the countless battles it had suffered through. She was surprised it wasn't stained in blood like the garden. Sesshoumaru had told her that there hadn't been a major youkai war in centuries, only skirmishes between clans. Kagome wondered if the upcoming battles would stain the wall.

They stood atop the wall in silence for many long minutes, looking towards the north. To the east, the sun was finally cresting over the horizon, turning the dull gray of pre-dawn sky to a brilliant yellow. The light touch of rain remained for the moment, so gentle that Kagome could barely feel it upon her sensitive ears. The sun would dry her soon enough.

He spoke first, slightly surprising the hanyou. "Why are you wearing that obscene costume?"

She shrugged. "It looks good on me and I wanted to train in what I'll be wearing when I fight."

"I have provided you with several appropriate outfits," he argued, trying to keep his eyes away from her.

He began to chant inside his head, reciting the words of the demon clerics of the shrine. When he was very small, his father had sent him to a remote shrine for a year, to learn the spiritual ways of the youkai. It hadn't had much affect, since his own parents never reinforced his teachings after his return, but Sesshoumaru had picked up the calming techniques of the clerics. It was there that he had learned to control his emotions so adeptly.

The meditative strategy failed him today however. He still found her _attractive_ and he could not calm the urge to fight the girl. He could not calm the instinctive drive to show her who was stronger, who should lead in this relationship.

On the journey to the West, he had occasionally noticed her slim, muscular form underneath the leather taijiya uniform. Now, he could barely keep his eyes off of her. The rain had encrusted her in diamond droplets of water that were glowing in the rising sunlight. She looked like a goddess.

Her words interrupted his thoughts. "I'll have you know that this demon slayer outfit has caused many demons to _run_ from me. Just like this wall, its 'mere presence prevents invasion'." She paused and blushed. "Wait… that didn't come out quite right."

"No, it did not," spoke the taiyoukai, forcing himself not to close his eyes and show a sign of weakness.

Why did she have to _say_ such things? More importantly, why did she have to _wear_ such things? There was no way in _hell_ that he would allow Kagome to wear that provocative outfit onto the field. It had been so hard to resist her lately, and the pinnacle had occurred just the day before, during the battle.

She had been so angry for that moment, when she struck down her opponent. Slicing the tengu's arm apart, drenching her hand in blood. She may not have been aware of it, but the feral look in her eyes spoke of a true demon, not a half-breed, in that moment. It was shocking to see her so wholeheartedly defend a pup that was not hers, that Sesshoumaru almost forgot to kill the bastard who tried to take Rin. To have a strong mate was the ultimate honor, and the taiyoukai realized that although she couldn't swing a sword to save her life, Kagome had an unbridled power that would be coveted by many males.

And so after the battle, he couldn't get out of there fast enough. He was _horrified_ at his thoughts, at the actions he wanted to take. His eyes were still aching to glow, not in anger, but in desire. When Nami had announced the state of the guards, he used it as an excuse to get out of the garden, to leave the hanyou.

For the rest of the day, he locked himself into his study, but he couldn't have picked a worse place. The library was blanketed in _her_ scent, urging his primal instincts forward. When she arrived to ask what the plan was, he gave her clipped, short replies. When she lingered, he ordered her to go pack her bag. Once she left, Sesshoumaru realized he had crushed his brush into dust and that his brow was slick with sweat.

It was then that he realized that this wasn't going to go away on its own.

How could he resist forever? His mind constantly returned to an image of them sharing a passionate kiss, his hand entangled in her soft, strong hair, pulling her towards him. The way her hands would hold his waist or shoulders sometimes caused the great taiyoukai to _shiver_. And that was one of his decidedly more _tame_ images regarding the girl. The others concerned a definite lack of clothes. It was nothing short of pathetic in his opinion and something had to be done. After all, he had decided, it was just the desire for a female body to warm his. The fact that it was _Kagome_ really had nothing to do with it.

So he had searched out Nami, travelling down into the depths of the nobles' residence and seeking her out. He requested her company in his chambers and turned away once she had hesitatingly agreed. It was only upon the return trip that Sesshoumaru realized why he had picked Nami, of all the females that were so desperate to get him into bed.

Kagome approved of her.

She said so herself not a few days before, when he had first thought of taking out his baser instincts upon another woman. She liked Nami and became her friend, and wasn't it said that friends tended to have things in common?

But in the end, the joke was on him. It wasn't enough. Nami may have resembled Kagome once upon a time, when the hanyou had been human and willing to let his brother walk all over her, but not anymore. She was too demure, too graceful, and although he quite appreciated her for those reasons, it hardly took the edge off of his true desires. He wanted Kagome. The stubborn, angular half-demon that would fight for power every step of the way. The one that would demand all of his attention. The one that would have boundless energy. Or so he imagined.

And he couldn't ignore the fact that he would have given half his kingdom to see Kagome's crimson and black hair spreading out over his bare chest instead of Nami's blue tresses, after it was all over. And he knew that had there been a girl with triangular dog ears in his bed, he wouldn't have let her go _quite_ so easily as he gave up the water demoness.

He had half a mind to give up, to give in to this female that had captured his primal side, but he fought it. A hanyou would never grace the bed of the Inutaisho as long as he had anything to say about it. If necessary, he would sleep with every demoness in his castle to expel this urge.

He cast a sidelong glance at the hanyou, standing quietly and watching the sunrise. It would not be difficult, he assured himself, to think of her as just another female, another demon. From this moment, Kagome would no longer be the object of his sexual desire, and he _certainly_ wouldn't entertain thoughts of anything beyond that.

"So I was in bed reading last night," began the hanyou. "Um… are you okay?"

"Yes. Why?"

Kagome shrugged. "I thought I heard you make a noise. Like… like a little mewing noise."

The taiyoukai bristled and fixed her with his golden stare. "This Sesshoumaru does not _mew_," he said rather heatedly. He certainly hadn't 'mewed'. He had suppressed a groan of frustration. Two _completely_ different things, he assured himself.

"Right. Well, I was reading last night and I found something you might be interested in." Kagome wove her fingers together, silently reciting 'this is the church, this is the steeple…' It was what her mother did when her daughter was nervous, and the hanyou had never felt so terrified. Last night she was sure he would be pleased, but upon reflection, she realized he might just get angry when she told him. He didn't like being vulnerable. She took a deep breath. "I know who the mysterious demon lord is. I found the pendant's symbol in my book."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened ever so slightly, but frowned when Kagome didn't continue. "Do you plan to keep me waiting forever?"

"Sorry. Of course not." She took another breath, trying to steady her voice. "Just don't freak out."

"_Kagome_…"

"Right. It's Amatsu Mikaboshi. That's who the lord is." She spoke quickly, stumbling over the name, looking up at him when she was finished.

Sesshoumaru remained silent. His mind immediately began to work at high speed, analyzing this new bit of information. It was a rather bleak picture, but a few bright spots would merit further research.

"Sesshoumaru! Are you listening?" Kagome asked, becoming increasingly frustrated. "Amatsu Mikaboshi! The august star! God of evil!"

"Your dramatics are not necessary," he responded. "I know who Amatsu is."

"But… how are we going to fight a god? A _god_, Sesshoumaru."

The taiyoukai looked at the girl. "I do not know, but it is possible."

"How?" she argued, shooting him a dubious stare.

"If the god was invincible, he would have already laid waste to this land. Something prevents him from doing so, and I therefore believe that he is weaker than a god normally would be." He combed his claws through his hair. "I will find this weakness."

Kagome took a few deep breaths. If he wasn't good for anything else, Sesshoumaru's stoic behavior had an unusually calming effect. "You have a shrine in this city," observed the hanyou after she had settled down a bit. "Why fight when we could ask the gods to help us?"

For a moment, it appeared as if Sesshoumaru would laugh. The corners of his eyes crinkled slightly and he gave her a bemused look before saying, "The gods do not concern themselves with affairs of mortals or demons. Only when they want something will they descend from the heavens."

"Oh. That sucks."

"Indeed."

"So what do we do now?" Sesshoumaru's lack of emotion at her announcement had rather thrown her through a loop. She had expected a much longer conversation about this, but she had once again underestimated his ability to take things in stride. "I'm sure you're planning now."

"Naturally."

"So… what's the plan?"

"We will leave tomorrow and find Amatsu. Since the East and South have turned against us, it is likely that he has set up his headquarters in that region."

"It's official then? We're at war with the Eastern and Southern lands?"

"No, but the West will declare war if they cross my borders and although they are hesitant, I believe we will soon be on the battlefield if we are not able to stop Amatsu." He was feeling considerably more comfortable at the moment. Talking about battle and strategy always calmed him and it certainly took his mind off the fact that the object of his sexual desires stood a few feet away.

Kagome smiled. 'We'. He had included her in the Western Lands. Perhaps not on purpose, but it lifted her spirits nonetheless. But no, she was still leaving him after Amatsu was taken care of. She knew she should walk away immediately, but it was too hard. She bargained with her logical side for a few more days, just enough to find and kill the god. Even in her mind it sounded like a pathetic excuse, but she didn't care. "Do you think it's wise to leave now? With battle imminent?"

"If we leave, battle is likely. If we do not, battle will be indeed imminent. I expect that once Amatsu is subdued, the East and South lords will be quite eager to renew their alliances with the West and North. If Amatsu is not stopped however, this could result in a total war of Japan's youkai clans."

"Oh good. And here I thought this was going to be bad," quipped the girl, rolling her eyes.

"Many questions remain. Answers could prevent war as well."

Kagome tilted her head. "What questions? The god of evil intends to wreck havoc. Not a big surprise."

"Why would a god intent on destruction keep this Sesshoumaru for five months? It would have been much easier to execute me. Additionally, the god is not announcing his presence. He is gathering followers covertly, which is unnecessary for a god that has worshippers all over Japan. Why does he need your blood? What does the undead miko have to do with this? How is Amatsu convincing youkai to work for him without letting them know he is a god? Why…"

"I get it… I get it. There are questions."

"A few."

"Okay, so who's going on this little expedition of yours?"

"The two of us, as well as the children, Jaken and Ah-Un. We will leave tomorrow by midday, after I inform my generals as to what they are to do in our absence." He nodded towards the northern horizon. "By the time we return, the Northern lord will have accepted our offer of alliance and provided more soldiers. Let us hope that we will not need them."

Kagome steeled her nerves before speaking, trying to ignore the dirge-like tune that Asa was now singing. It echoed in her ears, gaining an ethereal quality from traveling over the gardens. "I'm not coming back with you, Sesshoumaru."

For a demon who barely flinched when told a god was after his blood, Sesshoumaru certainly reacted to this bit of news. He turned his head, his eyes widened and scoffed. "Do not be ridiculous. This Sesshoumaru made several promises and they will not be broken. You are also obligated to teach the children." He didn't want to think about the way his heart had stopped.

"Don't be stupid. You don't need me, especially if you have to teach me everything and protect me. Don't worry about it," she said, sighing heavily, "I'll probably die in the fight anyway."

Sesshoumaru frowned. He was once again in uncertain territory. "You will not die. And you will not leave."

"You can't stop me," she whispered, crossing her arms and looking away.

"I suppose not, but you will not leave." Normally, Sesshoumaru would not fight dirty. He would never lower himself to the level of appealing to the emotional side of a creature. _Normally._ But he decided that this would be an exception, something that was becoming a less of a rarity lately. "Will you leave the children so easily?" he asked. "They are quite taken with you and they enjoy their lessons."

Kagome inwardly groaned. _Why_ did he have to bring them into it? But one cheap shot could answer another. "You will have a new mate to take care of their lessons. I'm sure she will prove to be quite skillful."

"Are you referring to Nami?"

Her heart constricted and she cursed silently. "No… Yes. You know what I mean. When you choose a mate, she will take that job." She bit her lip. "Don't get me wrong, Sesshoumaru. I know you need a mate. I know Inuyasha is dead and with him gone, there is no heir to the West. Nami is a wonderful choice."

"She is…" he paused, searching for the correct word, "suitable."

Kagome turned her face up towards him and studied his countenance. "She's leaving the West."

Not so much as a tremor went through his expression, as he nodded. "Jaken informed me of her decision immediately. I have no control over her actions. I will find a mate."

"I'm sure. And will you sleep with all of them?" she said, almost before she could think. Her eyes widened as she slapped her hand over her mouth. "I didn't mean that."

Sesshoumaru's lip curled. "Of course you did. And that is a standard practice for choosing a mate. I do not have to answer to you."

Her lungs seemed to deflate within her chest. "I know you don't. I wasn't asking you to."

"Then you will leave me be. My choice of mate has nothing to do with you," he retorted, trying to regain his cold heart. But even as he said the words, the taiyoukai felt a pain slicing him in two and one word filled his mind. _Liar._

Kagome didn't notice the dog demon's perplexed expression, or the way he shook his white haired head in at attempt to clear his mind. The girl just concentrated on a point in the distance, far beyond the horizon. Asa's song still rang inside her head, beautiful and sad. "I talked to her this morning," she finally said. "Nami, that is. I wasn't very nice to her, but she still was willing to talk to me. She said something that made me think."

"What did she say?"

"That's not important," insisted the hanyou, trying to control the blood wishing to rush into her cheeks. "But I think I know why last night bothered me so much. Why your search for a mate annoys me to no end."

Sesshoumaru shot her a curious, but undetected, gaze. "Oh?"

She took a few deep, quiet breaths and willed her hands and heart to calm the heck down. "I think that I…" she faltered, but recovered with a shaky laugh and a new thought. "I think that I get mad because you remind me of Inuyasha."

This hadn't been what he expected, and the taiyoukai nearly growled in frustration. "I fail to see any similarities between Inuyasha and myself."

Another shaky laugh. "Don't take it so personally, Sesshoumaru. You're brothers and you definitely share some traits. You both can be arrogant pricks. And then you surprise everyone with moments of kindness." Her cheeks became tinged with red, despite her best efforts. "Not to mention the physical similarities. Sleeping with Nami just made you seem like Inuyasha running off to Kikyo. That's all." She was now fully blushing. "Not that you conjured those feelings of betrayal or anything… it just reminded me of it. Memories I'd rather not remember, if you get my drift."

"Of course." He damned his brother silently. How could the dead interrupt life so effectively? "This Sesshoumaru is still interested in what Nami said to create this conclusion."

A third shaky laugh. It was getting tiring for both of them. "Ha… well, yeah, that was interesting. I must admit." She ran her hands through her hair, letting them rest at the base of her neck. "I mean, it was ridiculous really. She actually said that I was in love with you. And you were in love with me as well." She didn't laugh now, instead fixing him with an intent stare.

It took every memory of every lesson with the meditative monks to prevent the taiyoukai from sweating and blushing. "I see."

"Silly, isn't it? I mean, I was in love with your _brother_. And you… you…"

"Are not capable of love?"

Kagome shook her head vigorously, appalled at what she had implied. "I didn't say that."

"No, you did not. I said it."

"But you can't _believe_ it?" she asked, aghast.

Golden eyes flashed in annoyance. "I do not know, nor do I care."

"Of course not," she whispered, turning her back on him and leaning against the wall. _Liar._

Several long minutes stretched out, creating a cavernous distance between them. The mist finally stopped falling and the sun rose over the horizon. Kagome nearly wept as Asa's song swelled to a mournful climax. There were words now, but nothing that a human would recognize as words. Only her demon ears allowed her to hear the beautiful pitches and timbres that she sensed was an angelic language.

"I should go and pack, since we're leaving tomorrow."

The taiyoukai nodded once. "I will once again be too busy to train you today, but prepare to wake up early."

She stepped up to the edge of wall, but a thought forced her to turn back. "Nami mentioned something else. She said you were quite tense last night, like you were going to rip the town to shreds. Um… since we're _quite_ clear on the fact that it wasn't because you love me or anything… why _were_ you nervous?"

Kagome could have sworn that Sesshoumaru puffed out his chest. "This Sesshoumaru was _not_ nervous."

"Then what?"

"I received a rather unsettling message from a scout. It is none of your concern."

The hanyou shrugged. "That's fine. I'll find out anyway from the castle gossip. You don't have to tell me anything."

He sighed deeply, accepting her statement as truth. Not to mention that he had used less than honorable tactics to keep her in the castle. "Very well. I shall tell you," he said. One more lie this morning wouldn't hurt too much. He had never been a very big proponent of karmic justice anyway.

A thoroughly pleased expression spread across Kagome's face as she took a few steps back and perched upon the outer edge of the wall. "Please do."

"The scout reported a youkai female living in virtual isolation in remote corner of the Eastern lands. Her name is Kaori. She should _not_ be there. In fact, until last night, I had believed she was long dead. And yet the scout said that she was not undead, simply alone."

"In the East?" asked Kagome. "So this Kaori might have something to do with Amatsu then? Is she an old friend of yours?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head, droplets of water flying off of his icicle white hair. "I do not think she has anything to do with Amatsu, but she is in an unfortunate place at a dangerous time. And if it is truly the Kaori of my past, I do not want her there."

"Of course not. We can go check on her when we get to the East." There was a spark of mischief in her eye as she turned to face him. "So, who is she?"

"Clear your mind of such disgusting thoughts," he snapped.

She blanched and recoiled, her claws digging into the centuries old stonework. "Sorry. It was just a question. Really, I would like to know. Who is she?"

For a moment, the garden fell silent, as if the entire castle was waiting for his answer. Asa and Haru were cleaning up, Rin's flowerbeds repaired and clean of blood once again. The guards along the top of the wall, out of earshot, were leaning against their glaives and pikes, longing for the end of the shift. Just as the grounds took a breath of anticipation, it released it all at once when Sesshoumaru answered.

"My mother."

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A/N: I'm sorry this isn't too long, but I didn't want to pass the one-month mark of making you guys wait. Not to mention that this was a pretty good stopping place. Now, rejoice all my little chickies, because the next few chapters are the reason I wrote this story (i.e. faster updates). Yay!

And BTW… if you were confused about the song Asa was singing that sounded that "I've Been Working on the Railroad"… that was a tribute to my school, University of Texas. Our alma mater does indeed sound like that song but with different words, "The Eyes of Texas". Normally I'm not very school spirited but we're in football season. Our mascot is adorable too – I love Bevo. So, go Longhorns! Now on to the reviews!

Review responses removed due to ban


	15. Of Demons and Angels

A/N: I have officially broken 400 reviews! You have no idea how wonderful I feel about that! And I have all of you to thank! So thank you!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 15: Of Demons and Angels

"Your mother?"

The taiyoukai nodded once. "I had heard that she had died many years ago, so the news was quite _disconcerting_."

"Understandable," answered the hanyou, "but didn't she die here? In the castle?"

"No."

"In battle then?"

"No."

Kagome frowned. After almost three weeks, she was quite used to Sesshoumaru's tight-lipped attitude, but this was rather ridiculous. He willingly told her that his mother was alive, and yet refused to give details. Sometimes he reminded her a little _too_ much of Inuyasha. Sighing, she said, "Okay, well… are you going to tell me anything about her then? Or will you leave me to the rumor mill again?"

Sesshoumaru smirked as he looked out over his city that was extinguishing its lights one by one for the sunrise. "No one in this city would remember her," he lied.

"Rumors cross generations, Sesshoumaru."

"You have no need to know, Kagome," he said with the hum of a barely suppressed growl.

"Right. But you know…" The hanyou lifted her head and looked towards the north. "Did you hear that?"

The taiyoukai was already three steps ahead of her, walking past the hanyou to the northwestern corner of the fortifications. The guards along the north side appeared agitated, looking to their general for instructions. Apparently, everyone had heard the yell.

Kagome hurried along the wall to Sesshoumaru's side and peered out over the army compound, separated from the city by a twenty yard strip of grass. At three points, wide, covered corridors connected the compound to the main city. "Wouldn't it be easier for the barracks to be within the city?" she asked.

"It is simply where they live and train," he answered, gazing into the compound with a critical eye. "They spend the majority of their time in the city. Now be quiet."

Another yell, louder and longer, sounded across the compound to their ears. Guards began to gather upon the north wall, all murmuring amongst themselves about what to do. Like Kagome, they were realizing that the compound's defenses were not manned. Not one soldier was visible between the rows of gray stone barracks. The tiled paths were bare of youkai, weapons and blood. The soldiers had seemed to have vanished.

"Return to your posts," ordered the taiyoukai. As the sentries returned grumbling to their places, Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome. "It would be best if you remained here. This could be the work of Amatsu."

"Like hell I'm staying here!" protested the girl. She gave the taiyoukai a furious stare and launched off the wall to the opposite side, landing neatly on all fours on the army compound walls.

The taiyoukai sighed and followed with a small, graceful jump, resting upon his feet just as Kagome was standing up. "If you irritate me, you are going back."

"Yeah, yeah," she answered, hopping down to ground level.

They began to slowly make their way through the empty streets, heading in the general direction of the enormous dojo in the back. "The disturbance came from the infirmary," commented the taiyoukai. "It is to the right of the training dojo."

Kagome, now thoroughly unnerved by the lack of soldiers, simply nodded. She did, however, keep her fingers running along the hilt of Tetsusaiga. Her shoes made soft clicks against the stone-paved road that seemed to echo loudly in her ears.

"Relax, Kagome."

"Huh?"

"I can hear your heart," he said. "You will never succeed in combat if you cannot control your emotions."

"I know." Her hand wrapped around the battered hilt of the Fang.

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow at her unusually compliant response, but had no time to comment on it as they approached the infirmary. The large double doors were open, revealing the packed antechamber.

"I think we found your missing soldiers," said Kagome dryly.

"Unfortunately for them," answered the dog demon.

The soldiers turned at the sound of their general's voice. Three pushed their way through the crowd and bowed before Sesshoumaru. "My lord," said the one in the middle, "I am relieved to see you."

"Major, I would be _fascinated_," drawled the taiyoukai, "to know why my men have abandoned their posts and have congregated in the infirmary, leaving the compound completely unprotected in a time of impending war. As commanding officer here, I would have expected much more from you. Explain."

The youkai, purple skinned and thoroughly abashed, bowed again as the other soldiers slipped by and returned to their places. Three remained, hovering around the doorway between the antechamber and actual infirmary. "Forgive me, my lord, but there is a _situation_."

The corner of Sesshoumaru's lip lifted in irritation, but before he could begin his threats, Kagome spoke up. "Um, I think," she said, looking in apprehension at the taiyoukai, "that he doesn't consider that _quite_ enough of an explanation. What kind of situation are we talking about here?"

The major shuddered under Sesshoumaru's gaze but did not hesitate. "A soldier that was injured yesterday has killed two others and taken the chief healer hostage. He wishes to speak to Lord Sesshoumaru's representative."

"A representative?" asked the taiyoukai. "Why does he refuse to speak to this Sesshoumaru?"

"I believe, my lord, that… he thinks you will kill him upon sight. He wishes to speak to a representative so he can tell his side of the story. Or so he says. He will not accept me, however. He considers my rank to be much too subordinate."

"I'll go," suggested Kagome, tugging at his sleeve. "He can't hurt a girl, can he?"

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "Don't be ridiculous. Endangering yourself for some lunatic is not what I keep you around for." He turned back to the officer. "You should have called me immediately."

"Forgive me, my lord. I thought it not important."

The dog demon held up his hand, stopping his subordinate before he began to grovel. "Tell me what you know of this soldier."

"He was injured yesterday in training, and you ordered two sentries to stand near him at all times. Apparently, one of them told him that you wanted to talk to him. He went insane, killed the guard and his partner and took the healer hostage."

"I see. I will manage this." He turned to look at Kagome, intending to tell her to go back to the castle, but she wasn't beside him. Glancing around, he snarled in pure irritation when he realized she was standing within the doorframe of the infirmary, certainly facing the hostage situation inside.

"I live in the East wing, isn't that proof enough that I'm important around here?" she was saying.

Sesshoumaru strode forward, fully intent on pulling the naïve girl back into safety, but the three remaining soldiers waved at him. "My lord, he has accepted her representation. We humbly suggest that we allow her to continue."

"She shouldn't have been _allowed_ in there in the first place!" he snapped, looking over their heads, watching her leather-clad form move slowly into the room. The gentle curve of her backside disappeared as the dog demon heard the soldier invite her deeper into the room. 'Don't go, Kagome,' he silently ordered.

But she didn't listen, so he pushed away the guards and stood just beside the doorway, out of sight. Inside, a deep conversation was already beginning.

"So, you're Sesshoumaru's _friend_?" The soldier's voice quivered with suppressed violence.

"I am," she answered, steady and calm. The hanyou didn't know how close this youkai was to ripping out her throat. Sesshoumaru's fist opened and closed as he weighed his options. It would be best, he decided, to wait and not risk the lives of his healer and his half-demon.

"Good. I imagine you want to ask me a few things."

"I do. Would you please let her go first?"

A female whimpered and Sesshoumaru closed his eyes with realization. Jun was a very old demon, the healer that had delivered both him and his father into the world. She was practically an institution in the western city. He had lied when he told Kagome that no one remembered his mother. Jun had a mind like a steel trap and was still spry for a millennia-old demon. The thought of having to replace such a valuable employee was rather tiring.

Jun's captor laughed, cruel and joyless. "Don't be ridiculous. He'd kill me in a second. Even now, Sesshoumaru is lurking behind the rice paper wall."

Kagome backed up, putting her within Sesshoumaru's vision once again. His hands itched to grab her, pull her out of danger, but caution again stayed his movements. If this really was an agent of Amatsu, he could kill Kagome in a moment.

The hanyou was nodding in agreement. "Okay, so don't let her go. Why don't you say what you need to say?"

"I'm going to die for this," the soldier said, his voice becoming gravelly with emotion. Then he laughed again. "Now I'm being ridiculous. I was dead when Sesshoumaru realized I wasn't one of his men."

"He has questions to ask you. He won't kill you."

Sesshoumaru splayed his hand against the wall and picked a spot at random. Carefully, silently, he split apart the fibers of the rice paper with his claw. Pressing his golden eye up against the opening, he was quite pleased to realize that he could now view the entire right length of the infirmary. The offending green-skinned youkai was standing twenty feet into the long, bed-filled room, holding Jun to his chest with his claws around her throat. Trickles of blood dripped down her neck from where he had pricked her. On either side of a nearby bed, pools of liquid crimson spilled out across the floor, although he could not see the dead bodies of his guards.

The soldier was sneering at Kagome. "I'm not _afraid_ of your precious taiyoukai! I am only afraid of my own master and the punishment he will dole out when he realizes my failure."

"Your master? Do you mean Amatsu?"

The youkai blanched in fear. "How dare you speak his name!" His claws tightened around Jun's throat, eliciting another whimper.

"Please! Stop hurting her!" Kagome's arm came into Sesshoumaru's view as she stretched it out in protest. "Please, what do you want?"

"I want you to ask me questions," he stated, relaxing his hold on Jun, "about the August Star."

Kagome didn't say anything and Sesshoumaru knew she had a perplexed expression, with her eyebrows knitting together and the tiniest pout. "Okay," she began slowly. "Well, why do you work for him then?"

The soldier stomped his foot angrily against the wooden floor. "No! No! No! You aren't asking the right questions!"

"I… I'm sorry, but I've never done this before!" she exclaimed, adding under her breath, "I usually beat them up to get answers."

"Fine!" he said. "Bring Sesshoumaru in! But if he kills me, he'll lose any chance to learn about his enemy, so he better not do anything until I want him to."

Sesshoumaru straightened up from his peeping place and walked around the corner to Kagome's side. He faced the youkai holding Jun's life in his hands as calmly as possible, although his primal instincts urged his death. He looked down at Kagome, making sure with his eyes and nose that no harm had come to her. Once satisfied, he returned his gaze to Jun's captor. "Who are you?"

The youkai smiled. "Much better. I am Ukon, the master spy of the August Star, his lordship Amatsu Mikaboshi."

"And you are his betrayer," commented the dog demon. "Why?"

"Because he will kill me for you finding out who I really am. I do not fear death…"

"You only fear what he'll do to you," interrupted the hanyou. "We know that."

Ukon sneered at the slip of a girl standing beside the powerful taiyoukai. "You don't know anything. You don't know what he's capable of. But that's not why I want to _betray_ him, as your lord so eloquently puts it. That's only the reason I want to die. I am betraying him for using my mate life's against me." For a moment, he looked downcast and withered. "When the guard told me Sesshoumaru wanted to speak with me, I got a vision of her dying at his hands."

The dog demon frowned. "Then he can hear what you hear."

"Yes!" said Ukon, life filling him once again. "Which is why you need to ask questions quickly, before he comes and kills me! I only ask that you kill me yourself before that happens."

Much to everyone's surprise, Sesshoumaru shook his head in refusal. "He will kill you long before I can get any answers."

"Try!" Ukon was becoming hysterical now. "I want him to _pay _for killing my beloved mate!"

"That was his mistake," said the taiyoukai calmly. "One that he will not be making again with his followers. He chose one that has ties to others, to females and love."

"He promised he would help us!" yelled the youkai. "We were wanted by the Eastern dynasty and he helped us! How could he kill her?" His eyes, black as pitch, bore into the dog demon and the hanyou. "I don't care what you say, I'll betray him anyway! He lives on the border of the East and South! He is the god of evil! His followers…"

Sesshoumaru gave a self-satisfied snort as Ukon stiffened as if he was going into rigor mortis. Jun fell away from his claws and ran to the inuyoukai. "What is happening, my lord?" the old healer asked.

Kagome looked up at him for the answer, keeping one eye on Ukon. Sesshoumaru's lips twisted into a sadistic smile. "Amatsu is punishing him."

Ukon began to scream, a long high pitch, with his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. His green skin began to crack like a shattered vase and began to ooze out a black tar. A horrifying stink emanating from him, like hair burning in mass quantities, adding to the unpleasant scream. The tar came faster and faster, and Kagome felt positive that no one person could hold that much liquid in his body. She was proved wrong, when he fell apart. Each scale created by the cracking, slid away from the others, leaving a geyser of tar that rushed across the floor in a wave. Far from violent and explosive, Kagome barely registered what had happened until Sesshoumaru's arm encircled her waist and lifted her away.

"Foolish girl!" he spat, drawing the hanyou's attention to the inky pool that covered the spot where her feet had been not two seconds ago. He set her down next to Jun beyond the doorway. "You would do well to stand clear of that liquid."

Kagome immediately saw what he meant, for floor was now groaning in protest as the tar began to feed on it. Within seconds an acidic hiss echoed in the air as the black ooze burned through the wooden floor and into the ground below. Several beds, no floor to support them, fell into the gaping hole and sizzled as the ooze ate them up. The liquid also swallowed up the bodies of the dead guards. The destruction ceased almost as suddenly as it had begun, leaving a large hole in the center of the infirmary. The two youkai and the hanyou stood silently, watching the ooze settle into the earth.

"That's going to be a bitch to clean up," commented the hanyou.

"Ah, well, that would be my department, my dear," spoke up Jun for the first time. "Don't worry about it." She was quite happy that she was not a part of the ooze festering below her infirmary floor.

"Jun, are you unharmed?" asked the taiyoukai.

Jun bowed. "My lord is too kind to this old woman. I am fine. Please, you must be busy with this Amatsu that man was talking about. Leave this mess to me. I'll recruit a few soldiers to help me out."

Sesshoumaru nodded his agreement and then beckoned to Kagome. "Come, we must prepare for our journey."

Kagome said good-bye to the healer that she really had never been properly introduced to, and followed the taiyoukai out the door. They fell in step with one another quickly and Kagome looked up at his impassive face. "Amatsu was listening to that entire conversation, wasn't he?"

"I believe so, yes."

"What was that black stuff?"

Annoyance flickered in his eyes before the dog demon answered, "I don't know."

They wandered back through the streets in virtual silence, taking the covered pathway back into the city instead of jumping the wall. The corridor into Sesshoumaru's personal land was heavily guarded, with four guards at each side and ten inside. At least she didn't have to worry about another crazed spy breaking into the city and taking _her_ hostage.

She stopped dead right inside of the city walls, causing Sesshoumaru to turn and look at her curiously. "Yes?"

"He knows," she breathed, placing a hand on her chest. "Amatsu knows I'm important to you."

The dog demon arched an eyebrow.

Kagome sighed. "I know, I know. Don't say it. I'm not important to you. That, sir, is _painfully_ obvious to me. What matters is that Amatsu _thinks_ I'm important to you, because you let me talk with Ukon. And you know he'll use that against you."

"Easily fixed," commented the taiyoukai.

"Oh really? How?"

"When we meet him, I will kill you to prove that this Sesshoumaru cares for no one."

The hanyou's eyes widened as the taiyoukai turned his back on her and began to walk through the gardens. "Hey!" she called after him. "Hey! Wait! You're kidding, right?"

He didn't answer, simply disappearing down the bamboo lined path.

"Right!"

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The incident with Ukon spread throughout the castle like wildfire and by nightfall, Kagome was the center of interest. Most females in the city were taught from birth to not take initiative, like she had done. Dinner had been a nightmare, with guards and nobles alike peeking into the dining hall at regular intervals. Until Sesshoumaru had arrived, of course, since he immediately put a stop to it. He wanted to eat in peace, he said, although he spent the entire hour and a half pouring over documents that needed to be signed before he left.

She had seen Nami in the halls once in midafternoon. The blue-skinned demoness had appeared at the top of the stairs as Kagome escorted the children up after lunch. And although she had swept past without a glance at the hanyou, Kagome instinctively knew that the youkai had sought her out. Later, Ruri had spoken to her, to wish her luck and press Nami's case. Kagome wouldn't listen, although she did give Ruri a warm farewell.

It was morning now, and Kagome was packing the last of her things into her bag, her toothbrush and comb specifically. Both were old, missing bristles and teeth, but they would have to do for now, perhaps forever. She certainly wouldn't refuse to take care of this new set of fangs she had, although Inuyasha's had always remained pearly white.

On the other side of the bridge, the wolf brothers barreled into her. "You're okay!" Hakkaku exclaimed with a grin. "We heard what happened yesterday."

Kagome set her bag down on the carpeted floor. "Just a bit of excitement. That's all. You two are up early."

Ginta threw an arm around her shoulders. "Yeah, well… we also heard that you were leaving," he rasped. "We are hurt that you didn't come to say goodbye to us. We're family and you didn't even think of us."

"Sure I did," she lied. "I just… forgot for a moment."

"Yeah, right," laughed Hakkaku, "but we forgive you. Where are you going?"

"I'm not sure," the hanyou answered. "Sesshoumaru just said we were going East. I don't know any of the details and of course he didn't tell me anything."

"Are you coming back?" they asked in unison.

Kagome blushed. "Um…"

Ginta held up his hand. "You know what? Don't answer that. We'll just assume you're going to return and leave it at that. You can keep your reasons to yourself." He exchanged a veiled look with his brother. "We hope you do return though. Many people are waiting for you here."

"We just wanted to tell you good luck, sister," continued Hakkaku. "Sesshoumaru-sama has given us permission to stay in the palace until the situation with the demon lord is settled, so you know where to find us. If you need anything that is."

"Thanks, guys. I'll remember that." She leaned forward and gave them each a gentle hug, carefully avoiding their remained bumps and bruises. "I have to go, Sesshoumaru is waiting for me."

They exchanged another look. "We know he is. Goodbye, neesan."

"Bye, you two."

She hoisted the heavy yellow bag upon her back and trekked down to the ground floor, out the south doorway near the kitchens and towards the stables. Sesshoumaru told her to meet him there at dawn, and since the light of the sun was barely cresting over the horizon, she assumed she had plenty of time.

"You're late." Sesshoumaru emerged from the shadowy doorway of the stables and glared at her. He was incredibly pleased to see, however, that she was wearing a loose cotton yukata. A welcome reprieve from the previous day's leather outfit.

"Oh whatever. I am not late," she snapped. "You act tough, but you are _so_ not a morning person." She looked around. "Where are the kids? They're coming right?"

"Rin forgot her blanket and Washi forgot his bag entirely. Jaken should return with them shortly." He looked uncomfortable, talking about such domestic matters, like a mobster speaking about the way to bottle-feed a baby. Just as strange, in Kagome's mind.

They went inside the stable, its sweet smell of damp hay and animal feed making its way to her nose. This was obviously Sesshoumaru's private stable, it was much too small to outfit an entire cavalry, or even his officers. Thirty or so horses were lined up inside, many still asleep with their heads slightly bowed and their eyes closed. "I've never seen you ride a horse, Sesshoumaru. Who do these belong to?"

"Rin enjoys riding," he answered. "A few of these are at her disposal, the rest are for messengers and the nobles residing in my home."

"Not everyone has a two-headed dragon, huh?" she said smiling, as they came upon the last stall, holding the large scaly-backed Ah-Un. Both of them blinked unconcernedly at her. She reached out and rubbed the arch of their noses between their four eyes. Eri's dog had seemed to like it, why not dragons?

Sesshoumaru scoffed as his steed closed all of its eyes in pleasure. Surely this couldn't be the same creature that had terrified Kagome when he rode down on it from the heavens, with lightening and magical energy clashing around them? It was hard to believe at any rate.

The children spilled into the stable, giggling loudly and waking up several horses. Jaken trudged in beside them as Sesshoumaru opened the stall door and led out Ah-Un. Stable boys, he had said the night before, weren't capable of handling the dragon.

"Tie the bag to the dragon's hindquarters," he directed.

"No, thanks. I'll carry it."

Sesshoumaru paused from taking Rin's travelling pack and looked up at her. "If we are attacked, you will need full mobility. Put the bag on the dragon or I will do it for you."

Kagome scowled, but realized he was right and turned to fasten the leather straps around the nylon backpack. "This thing has been through a lot with me," she told the dragon. "Don't drop it."

Ah-Un snorted and gave her an appraising look as if to say he would never shirk his duty, only turning away when Rin began to introduce the steed to Washi. "Look! This one is Ah," she said, pointing to the left head. "And this one is Un. They take care of me when Sesshoumaru-sama is away. We get to ride on him today."

"But I can fly," protested Washi, eyeing Ah-Un's stiff leather saddle with trepidation.

"Not all day, you can't," pointed out the hanyou as she lifted Rin onto the dragon's back. "Go on, get on." She watched with amusement as Washi fluttered into the air and settled behind Rin.

They exited the stable, Sesshoumaru in the lead with Kagome and Jaken on the either side of Ah-Un behind him. Making their way down the gentle slope, towards the center of the city, Kagome realized that she had never been this far into the city since she had arrived. A wrought-iron fence encircled Sesshoumaru's personal property, with guards stationed every twenty feet, so she had been perfectly happy to keep within those confines.

The large figures of seven mansions rose above them as they came out of Sesshoumaru's treed property and through his gate. It closed behind them with a satisfying _click_ as the guards moved back into their positions. Before them, the avenue suddenly widened out as they entered the city proper. Several youkai milled about, watching their lord process down the street with his rather motley crew. They were quite used to Jaken, the dragon and even the little human girl, so Kagome and Washi received most of the stares.

In the center of the city stood the shrine, small compared to the seven mansions adorning the immediate landscape, but still quite impressive. Its gold-leaf trim winked as they passed underneath the eaves and through the crowd of early morning worshippers. Machi was among them, scowling at Kagome with a few other sour-face females. The hanyou ignored them, her only sign of recognition being the tight grip on Tetsusaiga's hilt.

Finally, after what seemed like hours of blank stares and open gossiping, the six escaped through the enormous iron double doors that gated the city. The doors closed behind them, effectively cutting them off from their luxurious lifestyle. Kagome looked back, before entering the forest, and watched the guards march upon the fortifications. They seemed alert, with their stiff spines and synchronized stepping. The hanyou silently wished them luck, fervently hoping they would still be there, defending a thriving city when and if she returned.

Four hours later, Kagome was already wishing for an immediate return, if only to get breakfast. Her stomach grumbled its protest as she tried to keep up with the taiyoukai and dragon.

Sesshoumaru turned his head to look at her, annoyed by her stomach's constant noise.

"What?" questioned the hanyou, catching his eye. "Is it _my_ fault that you insisted upon getting up at the ass crack of dawn, before the kitchen staff could make a proper meal?"

The taiyoukai raised an eyebrow to say that it was indeed her fault, but conceded to his own hunger and stopped beside a large maple tree. The light filtering through the leaves gave his hair and kimono a green and yellow sheen as he considered the options. The children had had plenty of time to rest anyway, he reasoned, glancing up at the midday sun. Lunch would be beneficial to all of them.

"Great!" Kagome exclaimed. "Who's cooking?"

Jaken, silent until now, scoffed. "Cooking? We certainly don't have time for such nonsense!"

The hanyou's expression faltered for a moment. "Then what are we supposed to eat? If we can't start a fire that is."

"Fend for yourself!" snapped the imp. "I'm not going to wait on you hand and foot!"

"Jaken," said the taiyoukai, menace lacing his tone, "do not speak to her like that or your life will be forfeit." He settled upon the forest floor and leaned back against the maple, closing his eyes.

The toad trembled. "Yes, my lord."

"Okay," broke in the hanyou, not wanting Sesshoumaru to kick Jaken quite this early in their trip. "So did you guys _bring_ anything to eat?"

Golden eyes opened and gave her a blank stare.

"Guess not," she sighed. "Okay, I'll go get something. Wake the kids up for me, otherwise they'll never get to sleep tonight. Don't worry about me, I'll try not to eat anything poisonous."

She wandered into the thick of the forest before they could lay down any unessential rules, like 'don't wander too far' or 'don't fight any demons bigger than you.' A lack of food, on top of an uncomfortably silent morning, hadn't really done anything to cheer her up. Not that she would show it and have Sesshoumaru snap at her.

Stepping over roots and fallen branches, Kagome sniffed the air to see if anything edible was around. "Nothing. Just my luck," she muttered. The animals had probably picked the area clean before going into hibernation. And she refused to eat raw squirrel.

Nevertheless, the hanyou continued deeper into the forest, farther away from Sesshoumaru and the others. A familiar scent wafted into her senses and her eyes widened. "Apples! Jackpot!" She quickly veered to the left and within three minutes, found the tree with overly ripe apples hanging off the branches. As she reached up to pick the nearest red fruit, the hairs of the back of her neck prickled. Kagome turned around, breathing in to detect any other creatures, but not sensing anything.

"Hello?" A soft breeze played across her face and the girl immediately thought of Kagura, but just as quickly dismissed it. The wind sorceress liked to have her fun, but this didn't seem like her style. "I'll have you know that I have one extremely tall demon lord protecting me at all times!" Her eyes swept the empty clearing. "Or… most of the time."

Minutes crawled by without any sound besides a few birds calling to their mates. Just as Kagome was considering returning to camp, another twig snapped in the bushes to her right. Lifting her lip in a snarl, she attacked.

And successfully tackled Sesshoumaru.

The hanyou looked down at the taiyoukai with surprise in her eyes. She was painfully aware that she was practically lying on top of him, but decided that righteous anger about being freaked out was better for the situation. "What are _you_ doing here?"

His golden eyes darkened to a liquid amber hue. "_You_ were wasting half the afternoon trying to find food."

Kagome rolled off of him and stood up. "Well, I'm sorry. I just found some food now. What was the deal with you? Why were you trying to scare the crap out of me? You could have just announced your presence you know."

Sesshoumaru stopped brushing off the grass from his white kimono and looked up with urgency. "I have only just arrived. You heard something?"

The hanyou's eyes widened, showing a ring of white around her deep brown irises. "It wasn't you? Oh, wonderful. We've been out here barely a few hours and we're already being stalked. Or I am at least." She frowned at the dog demon. "Do you think it was Kikyo?"

"Random conjectures will not benefit us at the moment. But it doesn't seem like she is the type to hide in the shadows," he answered, as he inspected the clearing. "Did you smell anything?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. That was the strange part."

The inuyoukai carefully stored all of this information to mull over at a later date. "I see. We will return to the others and continue on our path. Alert me if you sense anything else out of the ordinary."

"Like you wouldn't sense it ages before me," she commented with a sly look.

"Perhaps," he agreed, "but the success of this mission depends on both of us and our abilities to protect the children." He began to walk back to their makeshift camp with Kagome quickly joining him. In her hands were several lackluster apples, which she was struggling to keep balanced. He plucked two out of her grasp.

"Thank you," she murmured, cradling the rest against her stomach. "You know we will eventually meet Kikyo, right? She'll find us long before we get to the East."

He nodded. "I know."

"She hates me. She wants to kill me."

"Yes."

"I'm just afraid of who will be with her," she whispered.

Sesshoumaru frowned as he remembered his promise to Inuyasha's empty grave. _"Kagome will not die under my care."_ It appeared that he might have to work quite hard to keep that oath.

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"All I'm saying is that it's weird, Sesshoumaru."

He narrowed his eyes as she gave the children each a crispy fish for dinner. "Perhaps, but a lack of opposition as we move towards the East should be considered advantageous."

"Okay, but aren't you getting the least bit creeped out?"

"No."

The hanyou looked over at Rin and Washi, making sure they were absorbed in their meal and each other's conversation, before moving closer to the taiyoukai and sitting on a small boulder. She settled next to him on the ground, close enough to touch if she just leaned a bit to the left. "Look, it's been three days and we're getting closer and closer to the enemy. No interference means one of two things. Either they're grossly incompetent or they're leading us into a trap. And since we're pretty sure a god wouldn't tolerate incompetence…"

"I have considered all of these possibilities and more," he growled.

"I know you have. I just wanted you to know that I'm getting worried." She frowned. "I keep thinking about what I felt in that clearing the first day. Don't you get the feeling someone is following us?"

"At least one," Sesshoumaru agreed. "Unfortunately, they do not follow close enough to give me anything more than a irritating wariness."

"Or they are and we just can't differentiate them from, say, the earth we walk on," she answered with a dark look.

"I doubt she would have hesitated to purify us with her arrows."

She smirked down at her hands. "That's true. But if Kikyo had a reason, I think she could restrain herself quite effectively. Who else would be following us?"

"I can think of many possibilities, but few youkai could evade me or would risk trying."

"I don't think anyone would be as dangerous as Kikyo anyway, not to you. She could purify you to dust with a touch. Washi, Ah-Un and Jaken too. My demon blood would let her give me a nasty burn too." Kagome glanced at the human girl, who was chatting with the dragon and the eagle child. "Rin is the only one who is safe from her."

Sesshoumaru nodded, satisfied that he would only be protecting one female from a miko gone mad. "We still do not know why she has joined Amatsu."

"Yeah, that's been bothering me too. Through the darkest days with her, when she was so bent on vengeance against Inuyasha, she remained good. She still took care of those in need and performed good acts like any proper priestess. Why would she follow the god of evil?"

"Perhaps Amatsu offered her something she could not refuse."

She opened her hand and ran her finger over the scar across her palm. The hanyou had hoped it would go away, but it appeared as if it would be permanent. "My blood and those shadows. It has something to do with them, doesn't it?"

"Most likely."

"And all roads lead to Rome." Her laugh sounded cold and metallic. "Or in this case, Inuyasha. Sometimes I wish…" She hung her head.

"That you had never met him."

"No!" she said aghast. "I haven't wished that since… since I caught him embracing Kikyo in the forest. But that was many years ago. No, I wish that I had fought harder. Fought Kikyo, fought those demons, and fought those shadows that sliced my hand. I know they're using the blood to do something that will hurt me even more. I can feel it. It's like a black cloud over me." She shuddered, despite the unusually warm night.

"Whatever they want to use your blood for, we will stop it."

"Forgive me, my lord, but I don't know if that's possible," a strange voice said, breaking the comfort of sitting by the fire.

Kagome shrieked and fell backwards as Sesshoumaru sprang to his feet, drawing his sword. Jaken jumped in front of the children brandishing his Staff of Heads.

"Do not worry," said the voice. "I am not here to harm you. I am from the Northern Lands and I am your ally." A figure materialized out of thin air, its arms held up with palms facing outward to demonstrate his helplessness.

The hanyou's eyes widened as she got to her feet. The demon that had appeared like a sorcerer certainly fit any typical description that ran through one's head upon hearing 'demon'. He looked more like an angel that anything else. His body was slightly translucent, like an opal with the same flecks of color shining in his skin and body. Large, iridescent feathery wings emerged from his back, fluttering slightly with each breath he took. He was clothed in blue, a sturdy but airy fabric with an insignia on his right shoulder.

"Who are you?" she breathed.

The angel-demon bowed. "I am Keitaro, the master scout of the Northern Lands."

"'Scout' translates to 'spy'," growled Sesshoumaru. "Ally or not, I demand to know why you have been following us. Why didn't you announce yourself earlier?"

"Forgive me, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I could not reveal myself until now. Wait one moment, please." Keitaro ducked behind the bushes for a moment, his wings glittering through the leaves. When he returned, he was dragging the dead body of a squirrel demon.

Kagome hurried over to the children and covered their eyes with her hands.

"Aw, come on, Mama!" cried Washi. "I've seen dead demons before!"

"Have not," retorted the hanyou, easily sniffing out his lie. "And you won't under my care."

The little boy pouted and accepted his adoptive mother's rule as Sesshoumaru turned back to the spy. "Who is he? Not one of mine."

"Nor one of the North," Keitaro commented. "When I came to the western city, I learned that I had just missed you, and so I followed. Almost immediately, I became aware of someone else around, stalking you."

"Impossible," snapped the taiyoukai, liking the handsome celestial demon less every second. He glanced over at Kagome, who was starting at Keitaro so ardently that her fingers had slipped, allowing Washi to peak out eagerly at the new demon and his kill. A low growl rattled in his chest as he turned his eyes back to the spy. "I would have detected an intruder."

Keitaro bowed deeply. "No doubt, my lord, but the spy had something to conceal his scent." He lifted the squirrel demon's head and Sesshoumaru noticed its forehead smeared with blood, although its wounds were in its chest.

"I believe it is the blood of your lovely companion," he continued with a gracious smile towards Kagome, who blushed profusely. "And may I apologize, my lady, for startling you the other day by the apple tree. I had to make sure it was your blood, you see."

The hanyou, much to Sesshoumaru's irritation, giggled softly. "That's fine. I'm glad it wasn't the squirrel guy instead."

"Indeed, my lady."

Sesshoumaru growled audibly, garnering the attention and guilty looks from the demon and the hanyou. "I must appreciate the fact that you brought this to my attention, Keitaro," he gritted out, "but I ask that you deliver your message from the Northern Lord and then leave us."

Kagome's brow knit together. "Don't be so rude, Sesshoumaru! It's late and Keitaro should be welcomed to our camp, considering he got rid of Amatsu's spy!" She smiled warmly at the celestial demon. "Please, join us. We have an extra fish if you're hungry. It's raw too."

Keitaro bowed again. "You are most kind, my lady. I have been so busy guarding against the spy that I have not eaten in days."

The taiyoukai's eyes widened at these words. Could he possibly be insinuating that the great lord of the West could not guard his party sufficiently? That he needed this common soldier's assistance?

Before the dog demon could say anything, Kagome caught his murderous expression out of the corner of her eye. She recognized it from his encounters with Inuyasha, when the male hanyou would flaunt Tetsusaiga in the taiyoukai's face. "Well, Keitaro, I'm sure we could have managed but we thank you for the help. Um, here's your fish though," she said, handing him the food and hoping it would keep his mouth shut for awhile.

Keitaro took the leaf with the fish resting upon it with a gracious nod. "Might you have a cooking spear, my lady? I prefer my food cooked. To eat food raw seems so uncivilized." He looked up at the taiyoukai innocently. "Wouldn't you agree, my lord?"

The hanyou thrust the cooking stick at the celestial, laughing nervously and wondering how this could get any worse. "Cooked, huh? Imagine that. Say… how's the war going?" she asked with an apprehensive glance at Sesshoumaru's face, whose eyes were pooled with ice.

Thankfully, Keitaro took up this new topic with vigor. "We have crushed most of the rebels, my lady. That is why some of our troops are going to the West. Our lord believes the West is the enemy's true target. But please, my lady, who is this 'Amatsu' you spoke of earlier? Am I to understand you have discovered the identity of our new foe?"

Greatly please that he knew something that Keitaro did not, Sesshoumaru joined the conversation. "We believe so, but for now it is just rumor. There is no need to repeat what could be false," he said, shooting a warning glance to silently tell Kagome not to contradict him.

Kagome nodded vigorously. "Yes, we don't know too much. Have you discovered anything?"

The celestial shook his head sadly. "Only that the rebellions are orchestrated under a greater power. And I found this on the squirrel demon's neck," he said, holding up a copy of the pendant they had taken from Izo weeks earlier.

"You don't say. Hmm." Kagome looked at it from across the fire, well aware that she should get no closer to the beautiful demon without raising Sesshoumaru's jealous streak. She wondered why he had fought so much with Inuyasha. They were so _clearly_ brothers.

"What was the message?" said Sesshoumaru, completely uninterested in the pendant.

Keitaro frowned. "It was a strange one, my lord. I have never known Lord Makoto to be so vague. He simply said that there were two sides to every coin." He shrugged. "He told me to deliver it to you personally. Oh, and that ten thousand soldiers would be arriving soon to help reinforce your borders, but I already informed your generals of that."

The taiyoukai arched an eyebrow. Makoto had been lord of the North for many centuries more than he had led the West. His father and the Northern lord were friends, and when Lord Toga died, Makoto had been there to help with the transition between father and son's leadership. The North was the home of the celestials, like Keitaro, who were known for their wisdom and strength in battle. Any advice from them, no matter how cryptic, was to be taken seriously.

He looked towards Kagome, who was now 'tucking in' the children. It was a human practice, she had said on their first night, and Rin apparently had been deprived. He hadn't argued once he saw how pleased his ward was with the gesture, but it still made him uneasy.

Keitaro, on the other hand, chatted with her as she made sure the children were both wrapped in the warmest blankets they had. "Is she yours, my lady?" he asked, nodding to Rin.

The hanyou smiled at the yawning girl. "No, she isn't. She's totally human, for one thing. Just like Washi is all demon," she said, ruffling the eagle child's hair. He smiled sleepily up at her, showing off his pointed fangs.

"Of course. I should have seen it, but you treat them so much like a true mother. It's rare to see that among demons."

Kagome shrugged. "I'm the only female presence they have. At the moment, at least," she said, covertly glancing at the taiyoukai. He didn't return her gaze.

Keitaro smiled and nodded. "A long moment for their sake, I hope," he said. "I will rest a bit, if that is alright."

"Of course," the hanyou answered. "It's my turn to be on watch."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "I will be on watch tonight."

"All night?" The hanyou frowned at him. "But you've done that for the past three nights. You need rest too, you know."

"Spies still lurk in the shadows. Until we have resolved this matter, I will not sleep." He gave her a haughty stare. "I can go for many weeks without sleep."

Keitaro looked back and forth between the taiyoukai and hanyou, getting the distinct feeling that these sorts of tiffs occurred frequently. "Um, if you wish, I will stay awake."

"No," she said, not even looking at him, continuing to stare at Sesshoumaru. "You need sleep. I'll be awake."

"As will I," retorted the taiyoukai.

"Okay, so both of us. Two heads are better than one, right?" she said in a snippy tone.

Sesshoumaru gave in to her stubborn ways with a nod and the adults all settled into their places, listening to the children and Jaken snore softly. Keitaro had been more tired than he claimed and fell asleep immediately, leaving the hanyou and taiyoukai alone in consciousness. Kagome sat beside the dozing Ah-Un, looking at the dog demon through the licking flames of the campfire. Her brown eyes glowed amber in the light, making her appear more like one of Inutaisho household than before. Sesshoumaru looked away, suddenly uneasy in her presence.

Kagome got to her feet and walked over beside him. "May I sit here? Next to you?"

"Do as you wish," he answered, listening carefully for the others' heartbeats, making sure they remained calm and steady.

"Thanks," she said, lowering herself onto the grass. "You really _don't_ have to stay awake, you know."

"And leave my fate in the hands of a female that can barely lift her own sword?" he scoffed.

"Hey!" she exclaimed. Remembering the others, the hanyou lowered her voice. "I _can_ lift the Tetsusaiga and you know it. Is it my fault that I haven't grown up playing with sharp objects?"

The taiyoukai wisely chose not to answer her rhetorical question.

Kagome crossed her arms. "Fine. Give me the silent treatment, even though I didn't _do_ anything to deserve it." Her face slackened. "What if we're out here for weeks? Are you going to let me go on being helpless? What if we're still searching for Amatsu when I turn into a human?"

"We will continue training when we return to the West," he responded. "Until then, I will protect you, human or not."

"You're so cuddly."

"I know."

Kagome smiled warmly. "Aw, an attempt at humor. Maybe I'm finally getting through to you, Sesshoumaru."

"Doubtful."

She stood up and stretched. "Right. Well, I'm going to get that squirrel demon's corpse away from here. I don't want to be stumbling over it tomorrow morning and it's going to start to smell soon. And we _really_ don't want that."

"It already reeks of death," commented the taiyoukai, "but I have become accustomed to the scent."

"That's gross," she said, walking across the campsite. She peered behind the bushes. "Oh, man… that's even more gross. You can see his insides."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "That would be expected." He rolled his eyes, listening to her huff as she dragged the body deeper into the forest. He decided not to tell her that she would have to carry the corpse two miles before he would not smell it any longer. One mile, if _she_ didn't want to smell its decaying stench.

He leaned back against the tree trunk and let his gaze wander over the children. They were curled up against Ah-Un, with the smaller eagle child between the dragon's forepaws and Rin against his flank. His female ward had grown quite a bit in the past four years, but she was still tiny in comparison to the beast. Washi would soon catch up.

Kagome's scent began to turn stale in the air, alerting the taiyoukai to her prolonged absence. Surely she would have given up by now?

"Sesshoumaru?" Her voice, extremely faint, filtered through the trees.

He stood up, his golden eyes flashing in the firelight. "Kagome." He couldn't leave the children, and he was loathe to leave them in the custody of either Jaken or Keitaro.

"Sesshoumaru!"

The spy jerked awake as the hanyou's scream echoed through the clearing. "My lady?" he asked sleepily, as Jaken and Ah-Un pulled themselves from sleep as well.

The dog demon's heart constricted with indecision. His battle instincts were kicking in, telling him this could easily be a trap. Someone wanted him away from the children, possibly to hold them for ransom. On the other hand, Kagome could have just fallen and twisted her ankle.

The four male demons all stared at each other, unsure what to do.

The fire flickered and died, its smoky tendrils curling up towards the cloudy sky. Sesshoumaru's eyes began to glow red as Tokijin was drawn from its sheath, but he remained in his place, unwilling to move.

A familiar, unwelcome scent merged with the smell of dying embers and the taiyoukai snarled in the dark. His eyes adjusted quickly and they scanned the trees, watching for his enemies.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome's plaintive cry was closer this time and the dog demon had to consciously stop his feet from moving towards her.

"Aren't you going to go to her?"

The sneering, hated voice came out of the trees and for the second time that evening, Sesshoumaru found himself ambushed in his own camp. He refused to allow his irritation show, sliding on a mask of ice. "Inuyasha," he intoned, "how nice of you to join us."

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A/N: I know, you hate me for leaving it like this, but I'm on the 19th page and I want to save something for the next chapter. Besides, I'm sure you all saw this one coming. Believe me, this isn't my big surprise. (Yes, I'm laughing evilly right now.) Remember, this chapter, along with the next two are the reason I wrote this story. So don't worry – I won't disappoint! Oh, and if you were wondering about Keitaro… yeah, I didn't plan to add him until about a week ago. That's all I'll say. Now onto the review responses!

Review responses removed due to ban


	16. How the Mighty Will Fall

A/N: Ah, late again… Well, all I have to say is that finals suck.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 16: How the Mighty Will Fall

Inuyasha stepped into view in front of Sesshoumaru and the others, as if he melted in from the dark trees. His hair was hanging low over his eyes, leaving his face in shadow except for his smirk. The taiyoukai recognized the hooded expression from the handful of times he had ever faced his brother on truly equal footing. Each time, Inuyasha had suppressed his human blood and transformed into a carnage-seeking monster.

"Have you given up your humanity so easily, little brother?" sneered Sesshoumaru.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru! You've lost your touch," Inuyasha responded, laughing. "Humanity is what brought me _back_. I am _eternally_ grateful to it. Come on, though, why aren't you welcoming back your brother with joy? We haven't seen each other in so long!"

"Where is Kagome?"

The male hanyou lifted his head, and although there was a certain maniacal look in his eyes, they were not red, nor accompanied by purple stripes. Sesshoumaru felt relieved that he wouldn't be fighting a demon so closely to the children. "Ah, yes… Kagome. She's a sweet girl." A wicked smile spread across his face. "Too bad she didn't have that bloodthirsty streak in her _before_ she turned half-demon. We could have had a _lot_ more fun. I'm rather jealous of my big brother."

Anger swelled inside the taiyoukai's chest and he stepped forward, holding Tokijin tightly in his clawed hand.

"Nuh-uh," warned Inuyasha, shaking his head. "You don't want to hurt her, do you?"

Kikyo emerged from the shadows, holding a knife to the throat of a bound and gagged Kagome. The female hanyou's eyes were narrowed in rage and Sesshoumaru could hear the rumble of her growling. The taiyoukai was distinctly pleased to see her anger was directed towards the undead miko and not him.

"She has spirit, doesn't she?" Inuyasha asked, twirling a chunk of her hair between his fingers. "She's so much more interesting now. The red really compliments her eyes." He sighed and stroked her tresses a few more times as he leaned in to whisper in her ear. "It's too bad really, I would have enjoyed our reunion so much more if I was able to keep you. But you're not ready yet."

Kagome tried to say something, but the gag muffled her words.

Inuyasha clicked his tongue. "Do you speak to your mother like that? Really, Kagome, I expected better behavior from you."

"What do you want, Inuyasha?" asked the taiyoukai stiffly, aware that his little brother had the power as long as the dagger was pressed to Kagome's neck. He was not used to being powerless and he decided that he didn't care for it.

Again, the male hanyou began to pet Kagome's hair, trailing his claws along the edges of her crimson dog-ears. "I want her to realize how much I love her. How much I've given up for her." He pressed his nose against her cheek, making her red and black hair mingle with his snowy white strands. "I came back for you, my love."

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome's eyes slid shut and her body sagged into Kikyo's. She was already losing her will, her confidence to stand up to a creature that had Inuyasha's body, voice and memories, but not his mind. He was disappointed to see the girl give up so easily, but he felt compelled to help her by distracting her tormentor. "You have been brought back in a different way than your undead companion, Inuyasha," commented the dog demon. "You smell of flesh and blood where she smells of clay. How was this done?"

Inuyasha, keeping his forehead pressed against Kagome's temple, moved his yellow eyes to look at his elder brother. "You're trying to distract me. It won't work," he responded, grinning.

The taiyoukai frowned at the uncharacteristic insight his brother seemed to possess now that he had been resurrected, but he tried once again anyway. "I wish to know how it is possible. It is a logical question."

The male hanyou sighed in exasperation and lifted his face from Kagome's. "Like you don't know. Amatsu Mikaboshi has brought me back from the dead. His powers restored my body as it once was."

"How?"

"Kagome's blood, of course." Inuyasha smiled, displaying his long fangs.

"No blood was required in the resurrection of the undead miko," observed Sesshoumaru.

"Are you becoming stupid, big brother, or is it just me? Kikyo is, by your own words, undead. I am alive. Something had to inspire my soul to come back with such force that it could sustain a body as well. What better than my beloved mate's blood?"

Kagome whimpered as Sesshoumaru asked, "Why has your demeanor changed? How are you so callous towards the female who brought you back with her blood?"

He laughed, making Kagome's sensitive ears ring. "How human of you, big brother! Asking about her feelings and mine. You have changed, haven't you? I would have thought you guessed by now. I died as a demon…" He trailed off with a wicked grin.

The pieces slid into place in the inuyoukai's mind. "And you came back to life as a half-demon. The combination has given you everything you wanted. Physical power and increased demon blood without dying. And yet you are insane, as you are in your full-demon state. Not a very good trade, Inuyasha."

The red-robed male shook his head, spreading his arms out and looking up to the sky. "I disagree. I see everything now. The whole world and what will happen when I am unleashed upon it. I am still a half-demon but I have more power than even _you_ could imagine, Sesshoumaru. Amatsu has taken me in and created a great weapon. I could ask for nothing better. _He_ is the one I should have spent four years looking for. I am no longer weak."

The dog demon glance upwards at the sparkling stars, accompanied by a sliver of moon. "Then you no longer become human on the night of the new moon, as you did in your true life."

Kagome made a small squeal of surprise as Inuyasha scowled. "Of course not. No weapon can have such a great weakness as I once had. But I must ask, big brother, if you knew my night of weakness was on the night of the new moon, why didn't you attack us as we searched for the Jewel?" He snickered a bit. "It is a _logical_ question."

"I have known since you were a child, Inuyasha. I protected you during those nights," he replied. "What you don't realize, _little brother_, is that I will not dishonor my name in battle by striking you when you are weak. There was no purpose to it."

"How noble of you," the hanyou answered with a malevolent expression. "It's a shame we couldn't have been friends. I suppose it will never happen now."

Sesshoumaru kept his eyes on Kagome's face. "I tire of you and your sad excuses for witticisms, Inuyasha. You are not even the same creature anymore, and therefore you have no bearing upon our lives now. Leave us."

"No. I don't think I'm quite done yet."

The taiyoukai snarled, marring his perfect face. "Suit yourself. But don't give me a lackey to speak with. Tell Amatsu to speak to me himself. If he is not so cowardly to hide behind a half-demon and a dead woman."

Inuyasha turned red. "Amatsu Mikaboshi will speak to you _when and if_ he wishes. Considering that you are merely a bug in his grand plan, I doubt he would bestow such an honor upon you, big brother."

"And yet he sends his 'great weapon'?" Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "I must be a particularly large insect."

The male hanyou grabbed Kagome, holding her to his chest and pressing his mouth against her ear. "Your new boyfriend is overconfident, my love. You and I both know that he's just as evil as anything Naraku sent at us during our quest. And if I turned to Amatsu, he will too." He sent a sharp stare towards Sesshoumaru. "Did I tell you, Kagome? How as I lay dying in my own blood, Kikyo asked me if I wanted to live. She told me that I could see you again, be with you again. And for you… for you, I did it. I joined Amatsu so that he would bring me back as his servant with all these awesome powers. Soon enough, you'll join me."

Kagome began to cry, large tears streaking down her face and soaking into the gag in her mouth.

A growl rose in the taiyoukai's chest as he watched his brother reduce the female hanyou to a nervous wreck. "Kagome, stop crying," he ordered. "He is lying, so that your spirit will be broken once more."

The male hanyou ignored his brother's words and his former mate's tears. "We were so close to being happy, Kagome. And now we have that chance again. I _love_ you. I came back for you, and you're with my brother. Do you have any idea how much that hurts me?" He brushed away the strands of hair sticking to her damp face. "But it's okay. We'll be together again. I promise."

"Cease this immediately, Inuyasha!" snapped the taiyoukai, who was beginning to see red.

Kikyo held up the dagger to Kagome's throat once more. "Stay where you are, you filthy demon," she hissed, speaking for the first time.

Sesshoumaru's gaze focused on the undead woman. He was keenly aware that had it not been for her, Inuyasha and Kagome would have been together long ago and that after his death, there would be no resurrection. In short, she had done everything in her power to make those around her miserable. "I will enjoy it when Kagome slices you apart, miko," he shot back.

The woman of clay gave him a strange look, one of anger mixed with enjoyment. "She will never do it," Kikyo responded with her icy tone. "Soon, she will be one of us, and she will love me as a sister."

"You could never drive her to that," answered the taiyoukai, brushing away that disturbing image from his mind.

The undead miko laughed. It was sharp, cold and painful, like hearing the sound of an animal suffering. "You're right. I can't. But you will. _You_ are the one that will send her to us. And then, Amatsu's power will be complete. Everything that was foretold will come to pass and the world will be in our hands."

It felt as if someone had squeezed the life out of Sesshoumaru's heart. He never cared for mankind, or demons for that matter, but to put all of life into the servitude of Amatsu was _not_ something to look forward to. And to betray Kagome… he could barely think on it. "No, I will not. I have free will."

"And so does she. Kagome will use that free will to come to us. She will join us and receive Amatsu's amazing power."

Recovering a bit, Sesshoumaru lifted his head proudly. "And all this is in a prophecy? You said that it was 'foretold'."

Kikyo smiled and gave him a careful look. "Yes, but you will never get your hands on it. It is a prophecy among the gods. It will happen and there's nothing you can do, Sesshoumaru."

Inuyasha, grinning and devilish, leaned into Kagome one more time. She held an expression of dread and her body was shaking, but she had stopped crying. "Hear that, my dear mate? Once you come back to me, you will be mine in mind," he said as he nuzzled her hair, "and body." His clawed hands brushed down the curve of her ribcage and waist, finally resting upon her hip.

Sesshoumaru snarled, his eyes pulsing into blood red. He couldn't bear to see Inuyasha's hand on Kagome. She was his, no longer his brother's. "Let her _go_," he growled, barely recognizing his own voice through his anger.

"Fine, we'll leave," huffed the male hanyou. He turned back to Kagome. "Remember. When you come back to us, you'll have everything you ever wished for. And with our power combined, nothing can stand against us. Even a transformed dog demon will seem like flea compared to our power." He tore off her gag in a rough yank and pressed his lips against hers for the briefest second before disappearing into the forest.

As soon as they were gone, Kagome dropped to the ground in a broken heap. Sesshoumaru went to her side, slicing apart the ropes before picking her up with his tail and good arm. Her eyes were wide and she made no noise as he carried her to his stone seat, now cold, and sat down with her in his lap.

The other demons, silent through the entire encounter, and indeed forgotten until now, moved around quietly. Jaken used the old man on the Staff of Heads to restart the fire while Keitaro made sure the children were safe and warm. The children did not speak, only looking towards their surrogate mother and father as they huddled next to Ah-Un.

The warmth of the fire began to seep into Sesshoumaru's clothes and into Kagome's body, as he sat there staring down into her unseeing face. He squeezed her arm gently. "They are gone. I will not allow them to hurt you," he told her.

Kagome blinked a few times and brought her hand up to her lips. "I know," she said in a shaky voice. "It just scared me to death. They caught me and I didn't even fight back. I saw that he didn't have his rosary beads and I could barely move."

"Two against one, especially such as those two, are not good odds for you. It was wise to not fight," he pointed out.

"Are the children alright?" She twisted in his arms, trying to see Rin and Washi.

"We're fine, Mama," the eagle child answered with considerably less enthusiasm than usual.

"I'm so sorry you two had to see all of that."

Rin bit her lip. She had never cared for Inuyasha, because of what Jaken had said about her Sesshoumaru-sama's brother. The male half-demon was the reason her lord only had one arm, and they fought every time they had met. But she knew that her new mother had cared for Inuyasha deeply, so she chose her words carefully. "He's not a good person now, Kagome-san. Don't worry about us. We understand."

The female hanyou nodded and looked up at Sesshoumaru once again. "They didn't try to take Tetsusaiga. Why didn't they? When I saw them, I thought that's why Inuyasha had come. I thought that Tetsusaiga was his goal."

Sesshoumaru stood up and carefully set her on her feet before answering. "I do not presume to know my brother's actions. Perhaps he can no longer use it."

"Or perhaps he's powerful enough not to need it," said Kagome darkly, echoing the taiyoukai's unspoken thoughts.

"Perhaps," he agreed as she stepped away from him. His body immediately ached for her presence and he longed to reach out and pull her back into his embrace. A strange feeling that he may have acted upon, so he was relieved when another distraction prevented it.

"Am I interrupting something?" Kagura's voice filtered down through the trees as her feather transport carried her the ground. She stepped off and gave the somber group a long look. "What happened? And who are you?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Keitaro.

"He's a celestial demon from the Northern Lands," answered Sesshoumaru.

"Yeah, and let's say that I'm not the _only_ visitor they've had tonight," spoke up the winged demon. "It's becoming quite the hub of activity here."

"Keitaro, this is Kagura, a friend of mine. She's helping with the whole situation," Kagome said in a tired voice. She was grateful that the witch no longer smelled of Naraku, otherwise there would be even more questions and suddenly she had no energy. "Keitaro is a scout for the Northern Army. We have had a bit of excitement I guess, like he said."

Kagura walked forward and stopped in front of the girl, who was still pale and damp with a sheen of sweat over her skin. "It was Inuyasha and Kikyo, then?"

Kagome just nodded before throwing her arms around the wind sorceress. She began to sob into her red and white kimono as Kagura stood with an expression of more than slight surprise.

After a few moments, however, the female demon returned the hanyou's embrace. Sympathy spread through her body and the wind sorceress was surprised to find that she accepted it as a completely natural response towards the girl crying on her shoulder. She patted Kagome on the back and looked up at Sesshoumaru. "What happened? You said you would protect her."

"And I have. Neither Inuyasha nor Kikyo harmed her."

Kagura looked down at the mass of red and black tresses spreading across her kimono. Kagome's ears were twitching in frustration and anger and the smell of despair was pungent in the air. The last time they had spoken, Sesshoumaru had given her the sense that he'd rather fall on his sword than see Kagome injured, physically or emotionally. "You call _this_ not harmed?"

Sesshoumaru was beginning to get quite sick of these intrusive questions from visitors to _his_ camp. "What did you come here for, Kagura? It must have been important if you revealed yourself before a stranger and the others."

"Well, I _was_ going to tell you that I found out Inuyasha was alive again. But clearly, you knew that. Other than that, I was going to tell you that people have been disappearing."

Kagome, whose cries had subsided, lifted her head and wiped away the tears. "Who? Humans from the countryside?"

Kagura shook her head. "No. It appears that the lord isn't quite living up to his promises. A few followers displayed their, uh… _displeasure_ about it by ransacking a human town that they weren't supposed to attack yet. The group disappeared almost immediately. No one has heard from them."

The taiyoukai nodded. He expected that this would happen. All tyrants broke their promises. One would think that minions would have learned that by now. "The lord's name is Amatsu Mikaboshi."

Keitaro drew a sharp intake of breath. "So you _did_ know who is behind all this?"

Sesshoumaru gave him a pointed look. "It was under my discretion when to tell you."

Kagura was nodding. "Of course. That makes sense. Some of the promises had been pretty outlandish. I was wondering how the lord would fulfill _any_ of them."

The female hanyou clasped Kagura's hands. "You should get out now. It's too dangerous. We're facing a god and I don't want to lose another friend this year. Please, Kagura. You can stay with us for a bit. Fight him with us if you want."

The wind sorceress felt a rush of sisterly love towards the tear-stained girl in front of her. Six months ago, this would have been appalling, but now, Kagura realized that they were truly friends and sisters. "I have to stay, Kagome. They'd come and find me if I didn't return and that would lead them to you. Besides, one of the dissenters was the demon right above me in the hierarchy," she said, giving them a smug look. "I've been promoted for all my good work."

Kagome shook her head. "No, please! I release you from your debt. Please…"

"Hey, I survived for quite awhile on my own you know. I can take care of myself." The red-lipped demoness smiled and leaned over to whisper in Kagome's ear. "Besides, there are some extremely handsome males in this army. Although this place isn't lacking in that department either." Her red eyes flashed towards both Sesshoumaru and Keitaro.

The female hanyou rolled her eyes and gave a wan smile at Kagura as she stepped back. "Fine. But promise me that you'll be careful."

"I always am."

"And don't get involved with any _totally_ crazy males."

"You do know how to ruin my fun, Kagome."

"Kagura!"

The wind sorceress grinned. "Yes, I know."

Sesshoumaru turned to Kagura. "Inuyasha said that he, together with Kikyo and Kagome, would be a great weapon. Have you learned anything of this?"

The wind sorceress frowned. "No. The only reason I knew of Inuyasha's existence was that he killed one of my superiors for insolence."

"He killed someone for that?" Kagome asked.

"Yes. The demon insulted his half-human blood." Kagura tucked her fan into her sleeve and sat down on the ground beside the fire. "It was _rumored_ that he used great power to do it, but I don't know if I can trust that information. And certainly no one is clamoring to test it out again."

"From what he was saying, I don't think it's just rumor anymore," said Keitaro.

The female hanyou looked at each of the demons in turn, finally fixing her stare upon Sesshoumaru. "And he's after me. Why? Why do they need me specifically for this weapon?"

"That's the question we don't have an answer to, my lady." The celestial demon opened and closed his wings in agitation. "We need that prophecy."

"If it is in the possession of the gods, it will not be easy. Most likely, it is impossible," said Sesshoumaru. "The three of them, Kikyo, Inuyasha and Kagome, create a weapon, but there is no way to know what they can do. Or who they will affect."

"I'll try to get it," Kagura offered.

"Doubtful."

"Be nice, Sesshoumaru," admonished Kagome, before he turned back to the wind sorceress. "On the other hand, Kagura, he's right. You're good, but I doubt you could get past a god."

The demoness shrugged. "I will try."

"You said you would be careful," pled the girl.

"And I will be, Kagome." The red-eyed witch smiled. "Don't worry. At worst I'll have to run away. You know I do that well."

Kagome sighed and sat down beside the children. "Fine. Find us when you're done though. I don't think it would be safe to continue spying after stealing the prophecy. Or even after the attempt. We don't know what Amatsu is capable of and I would like you to be out before he knows what has happened."

"Very well. Will you still be going after him? I will meet you."

The female hanyou scratched behind her crimson ear. "Sesshoumaru will be facing off against Amatsu. I plan to go after Kikyo."

The taiyoukai arched an eyebrow. "It is unlikely they will be in the same place. The undead woman and my brother can communicate telepathically with Amatsu and do not need to meet him for their orders."

"I know that," Kagome whispered. "I told you when we set out that I might not stay with you. I've decided once and for all that I must leave."

Sesshoumaru frowned and looked over at Kagura and Keitaro. "Stay and guard the children while I speak to Kagome alone. We should not be long. Make sure the children rest." He nodded at the female hanyou. "Follow me. We will talk about this ridiculous idea where we will not disturb the children's sleep any further."

Kagura watched as Kagome followed the taiyoukai without a word. "Take as long as you need, Sesshoumaru-sama." She grinned as they disappeared into the woods. 'This has promise to it. Perhaps Kagome will eventually learn that the way to move past her troubles is right in front of her. If she isn't stupid about it, that is,' she thought. 'Good luck, sister.'

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As they wandered deeper into the forest, Kagome's heart dropped. Clearly, Sesshoumaru wasn't planning to keep his voice down during this little confrontation. She watched his silvery hair sway as she followed him into the depth of the thick trees. Even his sage and lavender scent could not settle her stomach, as it mingled with the smell of anger and extreme frustration.

Her hands were still shaking from her encounter with Inuyasha and the departing kiss he gave her still seemed to press upon her lips. The kiss had not been romantic, it had been about power. She sensed his anger in it. If he had had more time, if Sesshoumaru had not been there looking murderous, Inuyasha would have bruised her lips. Perhaps he would have bitten her and given her the mating mark that she lacked during his first life.

Months ago, she would have welcomed the kiss or the mark, not caring if it was done in anger or love. Now, she was confused. She had not wanted that kiss. She didn't want to be held in his arms and she didn't want those whispers of love. It was not Inuyasha. She knew it, and yet did not accept it.

She sighed and studied her clawed hands as she continued to follow the demon lord. Around her, the crickets fell silent and no breeze blew through the trees. 'I still love Inuyasha,' she told herself. 'But I cannot continue to live like this. How many times have I told myself that, though? How many times more before I acknowledge it as truth?'

"We will speak here." Sesshoumaru stopped and turned in a very small patch of clear grass, but did not say anymore.

"Um, okay. So speak."

"You are not leaving."

Kagome sighed and threaded her claws through her hair. "Well, not at the moment, but soon enough I am. Can we please not talk about this? I just want to rest after all that's happened tonight."

"Tonight's events are why you must stay at my side. You have no hope of destroying the undead miko."

"Thanks for the trust in my abilities," she snapped.

"_What_ abilities, Kagome?"

"Oh shut up, Sesshoumaru. Like you have any idea about what I'm going through."

His tail uncurled and fell to the ground, a movement that Kagome was learning meant that he was settling in for a long while. She sighed for the third time in as many minutes. "Enlighten me," he responded.

She put her hands on her hips and began to pace the short distance between the trees. "Oh, let's see. I sent my future mate to his death by taking Tetsusaiga, then I went crazy by turning into a half-demon. Finally, my _former_ future mate comes back and makes lewd comments towards me and believes that I'm involved with his brother."

"That belief is of no…"

"_Don't_ say that his words aren't of any consequence. Because they're of consequence to _me_. I don't want to be confused anymore, Sesshoumaru, but I also want to make my own decisions." She waved her hand as he opened his mouth to speak. "Don't ask me what that means either. I'm still trying to figure it out myself."

"May I speak now?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Sure. Why not? I'm confused as hell. I shouldn't speak anymore." She buried her face in her hands and leaned against the nearest tree.

"Very well. I shall do all the talking." He stood on the opposite side of the tiny clearing, seven feet away. "You aren't leaving because you will die if you do."

"You said that already."

He narrowed his eyes. "I thought I was the only one talking?"

"Right. Go on."

The dog demon tucked his hair behind his ear. "I believe the best course of action is to face the god, cut off the source of power and then attack the weakened miko and my brother. I do not see why you don't agree to this." He watched as her head drooped. "Unless you don't plan to go after my brother?"

"You plan to kill him."

"He's dead already. This life is not natural. It would be better for him to die."

Heat flowed into her face as her anger rose. "I know that! But you can't ask me to kill the man I love!"

"Then I will do it."

Her fists balled into fists. "Do you think I'll _let_ you?"

Sesshoumaru's anger began to rise as well. "I don't believe you understand, Kagome. He is not of this earth any longer. He should be dead, just as the miko should be dead. You are so willing to send her back from whence she came. Why not your lover as well?"

"He was not my lover! He was going to be my mate!" she yelled. "Don't you _dare_ make me feel like a whore!"

"You are not a whore. You are worse. You are a woman that cannot see beyond what is front of your face."

"You bastard. Just because _you_ think you know what's best for me, doesn't make it right!"

"Do you think that he'll allow you to kill Kikyo and then walk away?" he asked, rage seeping into his words. "He will fight you because that's what he was told to do. In order to survive, you need me. I will let you have your revenge upon the miko, but I will kill my brother. This is the way it was meant to be, from the day he was born."

Kagome scoffed. "Oh, how typical of you! You have some big chip on your shoulder because your dad mated with a human. Don't you think it's been long enough? Two hundred years and you're still _bitching_ about how your daddy chose some human over a demon? I thought kids were supposed to _grow up_ and stop being embarrassed about their parents. You are so immature. I can't believe I didn't see it before! You're worse than Inuyasha ever was! _That's_ why you want to kill him!"

"Amazing deduction, Kagome," sneered the dog demon. "You have figured out that I hate my father's decision and that my brother was an irritation. You are incredibly clever."

"Sarcasm doesn't suit you, jackass."

"And idiocy does not suit you." The end of his tail began to twitch. "If you're trying to uncover hidden truths, why don't we talk about _your_ reasons for going after Inuyasha?"

The female hanyou curled her hand around the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "You know that already. I love him."

_I love him_. The words pained him but he pressed on. "You are lying. You know that that creature was not Inuyasha." He regarded her in scrutiny. "Or do you? Are you so blind, so reliant on your emotions that you believe that you can bring your mate back? He will never be the same. Death changes the soul and it's not meant to return to life. Your hopes are fruitless. Nothing will come of it."

"But I cannot kill him! And I cannot let you kill him either." She lifted her lip, showing her canines. "You will have to murder me as well, if you try."

"You know I will not do that. I will not kill you."

Kagome threw up her hands. "Oh, come on, Sesshoumaru! You can't have everything! Kill me _and_ your brother or kill neither of us."

Sesshoumaru growled. "I am not used to not getting my way, Kagome."

"You _should_ get used to it." She placed her hand across her forehead. It was beginning to ache horribly. "We're talking in circles, Sesshoumaru. I'm leaving to kill Kikyo. I may fail, but then you will have your chance after destroying Amatsu."

The dog demon raised an eyebrow, his emotions settling back into the depths he used kept them locked in. "This isn't about my brother, is it? Or Kikyo. A few days ago you were bent upon going after Amatsu first. Either way, you would get your chance for revenge and you are not an impatient person. You would have waited and you would have come with me, if not for tonight. You know Inuyasha should return to the world of the dead, yet you make excuses that he should not."

Kagome stared at him intently, not blinking and not saying a word.

He walked across the clearing in three steps, stopping in front of her. "Why don't you want to face Amatsu? What is it about him that has you so scared?"

She reflected for a moment on the vision she was given through Inuyasha's kiss. If Sesshoumaru found out about it, she would never be allowed to see the children again. He probably wouldn't even let her into the Western Lands. The thought of leaving him was nerve-wracking, but taking away the possibility of ever seeing him again made Kagome want to cry out in pain. "I am his weapon. The last piece of some sick trinity between myself, Kikyo and Inuyasha. Why shouldn't I want to avoid him?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "It's more than that."

"That's my personal business," she replied, crossing her arms and turning her face away.

"I would not call the fate of this world your 'personal business', Kagome. I did not think you were so vain."

"I'm not," she whispered. "It's for the best."

The taiyoukai studied her face, terrified but resolute. She wouldn't tell him what she knew. Not yet. They stood in silence for many long moments as their anger slowly subsided.

"I lied."

Her eyes widened. "You did? About what?"

He stepped away from the hanyou. "I said that I hated my father for mating with a human. I said that my brother was an irritation."

"Didn't you? Isn't he?"

Sesshoumaru thought for a moment. "Well, yes. But not for the reason you believe."

She arched an eyebrow. "For four years you've been lying then. Is that what you're saying?"

"Yes."

Kagome nodded. "Okay. I guess I can forgive that. I mean, we weren't the best of friends, you know? There was no reason you should reveal anything to us."

"It was easier to let you believe that explanation," he agreed. "Not even Inuyasha had an inkling of my true reasons."

"Tell me then. Or do you just want to tease me by bringing this up?"

A ghost of a smile passed over his lips for a brief moment. "No. I will tell you. You do remember me talking of my father's weakness?"

"Many times," she answered.

He closed his eyes, opening them after a few seconds to reveal their glowing golden depths. "My father and Inuyasha were not the only ones in my family who decided to go to the human world."

Kagome frowned deeply. "I don't understand."

"Do you remember the painting in Izo's castle?"

"Of course, your mother was…" Realization dawned upon her face. "Your mother! _She_ fell in love with a human?"

"Such excitement is not necessary," he said haughtily. "_If_ it was love between them, the human male died many years ago. I thought she had died as well, but apparently she did not."

"What happened?"

Sesshoumaru sighed. "The battle that was depicted in the painting was the dog demons' greatest triumph over the humans who threatened our borders and our villages. My father refused to let his army slaughter the humans. One of their officers came to us to negotiate a truce after the human lord died. My father gave him the truce, on condition that his people remove themselves to the other side of Japan. The next morning, the humans were gone and so was my mother."

"She just ran away?"

"Apparently. She left a letter. By leaving, she broke the mating bond and my father was free to choose another mate."

Kagome shrugged. "I suppose I still don't understand, Sesshoumaru. If your mother had died instead and then your father had taken a human mate, would you have hated him and Inuyasha so much?"

"Perhaps not," Sesshoumaru conceeded.

"Then what was different? Besides it being your mother instead of your father at first?"

"I was ten years old. She left her only son, when that was her greatest responsibility. I fault my father as well, for he did not love her and never gave her a reason to stay." He said this with no emotion, his eyes never wavering from her face.

"Do you hate her?"

"No, I hate the human that took her from me."

She leaned back against the tree once more. "I suppose I understand. After all, you were a child. Do you think he seduced her?"

"I think he did more than that," responded the taiyoukai darkly.

Kagome put her hand over her mouth. "Did he… did he _rape_ her?"

"My mother was not fond of humans," he replied. "I found it hard to believe that a human would entice her willingly to leave my father's kingdom. I believe my mother left so that her humiliation would not influence the West. My father however, did not listen to me and refused to follow up on the matter. By the time I was an adult, he had practically erased the incident from his memory and was searching for another mate."

The hanyou's brows knit together. "Humiliation? But she was raped! That's not her fault!"

"I have only given you my conjectures. I have no proof. It is, in fact, possible that she fell in love with the human, although it's not a possibility that I prefer to dwell on. And one fact remains that not even I can explain."

"What's that?"

Sesshoumaru's tail wrapped around his shoulder once more. "The question is, how can a human subdue a fully grown dog demoness?"

Kagome nodded. "Yes, I do see how that would be a problem. Perhaps she was drugged?"

"No. My line is resistant to poison. The _only_ fortunate result of being related to those wretched acid demons like Machi."

"Ah, yes. She is a charming girl, isn't she?" The hanyou tilted her head and turned serious. "I guess all this is why you want to find your mother, huh? You want to find out what really happened?"

The taiyoukai pressed his lips together for a moment. "Yes, and she is, after all, my mother."

"Yes, after all," she agreed. "Sesshoumaru… why did you tell me all of this? I mean, I'm on a 'need to know' basis. Not that I'm complaining, but this didn't _sound_ like something I actually needed to know."

For a moment, he was torn. Could he tell her? Did he know the answer for his own benefit? Either way, the urge to admit that he was following in the footsteps of not one, but both, of his parents rose in his throat. Inuyasha, if he were in his right mind, would have laughed at his elder brother's predicament. He turned away, trying to compose himself.

"Hey! Don't turn your back on me!" protested the hanyou. "I asked you a legitimate question!"

"Kagome… shut up." She was tempting, beautiful and intelligent… but she really gave him some painful headaches very quickly.

"W-what?" she sputtered. "What's with being rude all of a sudden?"

In a flash, Sesshoumaru was before her, with his one hand wrapped around her upper arm, just tight enough to not be painful. "Just… keep your mouth closed for _one moment_," he snapped.

He pulled her against his body, wrapping his tail around her waist, and before he could consider the consequences, pressed his lips against hers.

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A/N: Once again, I'm sure that you all hate me for leaving it off here – especially after nearly a month of not updating. I really have no excuse… but really… they kissed. Isn't that good enough? Haha.

Review responses removed due to ban


	17. Paradise by the Dashboard Light

A/N: Okay, kiddies… Some of you were very angry that I left the last chapter as a cliffhanger, but you'll see why soon enough. A warning however, that this chapter contains heavy innuendo – just a word of caution for those of you who are particularly young.

And by the way… this is NOT my typical turn-around time for a new chapter, as many of you already know. This is the result of me not wanting to study for my history and sociology finals (which I did marvelously on anyway). So don't expect too much of me next time. There are my two disclaimers.

I'll give props to anyone who recognizes the title of this chapter and what it means in context… um, without Googling it… Haha. Now enjoy!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 17: Paradise by the Dashboard Light

The dew settled onto her ears and hair, weighing them down with the water. A draft snaked around her waist and hips as she shifted into a more comfortable position and wrapped her arms around her body. She could feel the early morning sunlight warm her face, despite the autumn season. Although she knew she should wake up, her body cried out to stay, to curl up and sleep forever.

She moved again to rest on her back, but this time, a dull pain clenched at her lower abdomen. Moaning in protest, her eyes fluttered open to see a patch of sky instead of the usual boughs of a cozy tree.

"It is time to return to the others."

Kagome shot upright, clutching at the robe around her shoulders. Sesshoumaru was sitting a few feet away, bare-chested and with his tail sprawling out to warm her bare legs. Looking down, she realized she was covered by his upper kimono, its red sakura design stretching over her entire right torso. Underneath, she was completely nude.

A flood of memories wiped away her morning amnesia. The kiss… and what followed.

She stood up, pushing away Sesshoumaru's tail, and immediately regretted it as another pain shot through her body.

"You should not move so quickly."

The half-demon didn't answer as she moved around the clearing, collecting parts of her yukata, her underwear and Tetsusaiga, sitting quietly at the base of the tree where Sesshoumaru had kissed her. She held her clothes for a few moments before looking up at the taiyoukai. As usual, his face held no emotion. Kagome breathed deeply and asked him to turn around.

He arched an eyebrow. "Hardly necessary. I have already seen your…"

"Just turn around!" interrupted the hanyou vehemently.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes, but turned away as requested. After several minutes of listening to her muttered curses and the rustling of fabric, he was allowed to face the hanyou once again. She was clothed in her previous day's outfit, now wrinkled and rather dirt-stained. Her hair was still tussled and a few blades of grass mingled with her red and black tresses. "Are you prepared to return then?" he asked, picking up his kimono from where Kagome had discarded it. It had her scent imbedded within it, the intoxicating aroma of mandarin oranges.

"No."

He stood up and began to put on his armor over his clothes. "Was there something else you are missing?"

"No." She was standing in one place, staring at the ground, with her hand on Tetsusaiga.

The taiyoukai slid his swords underneath his sash and looked over at Kagome. "What is wrong?"

The question seemed to flip a switch. The hanyou whirled around, a snarl painted on her face. "Is something _wrong_? How dare you ask me that!"

He mentally sighed. "I cannot read minds, Kagome."

She flattened her ears and rubbed her temples. "Do you have _any_ conception of what happened here last night? Can't you smell it? Sex. Lust. It's everywhere, even in my hair and clothes."

"I still do not see the problem."

"Are you _insane_?" Kagome yelled, almost loud enough to make his ears bleed. "You don't see the problem with us sleeping together?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "No, I do not. I have chosen you to be my mate."

She stared at him, disbelieving. "Excuse me? I'm half human, or don't you remember that?"

"I do, but I have decided to overlook that particular imperfection," he replied. "You will bear strong pups for the West and you are very good with the children. And you cannot deny the fact that we have a particularly strong physical connection."

"You are Inuyasha's brother!"

He scowled at her stricken expression. "You knew that last night as well. I do not see how that has any bearing on our behavior."

She stamped her foot like an overgrown child. "How can you not? He's back, Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha is back from the dead and he loves me still. How could I have betrayed him?" she pled, tears beginning to leak from her eyes. "He comes back and the first thing I do is have sex with his brother!" She collapsed onto the ground. "How will he ever forgive me? How can I forgive myself?"

Sesshoumaru walked forward, grabbed her arm and hauled her to her feet. "Inuyasha does _not_ love you. He hates you and he will do anything to break us apart, so that we will be weak on our own."

Kagome sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. "How would you know?"

"I deplore my brother's presence, but even I can see that he would not treat you in such a way if he loved you." He took her chin in his hand and forced her to look at him. "I will treat you well. You will be the Lady of the Western Lands and the mother of powerful heirs."

She pushed at his chest and he released her. "Be quiet, Sesshoumaru. You don't know what you're talking about. At the end of the day, when your hormones aren't raging, you'll remember that I was once human. And my human blood still flows in my veins."

"I told you that I was willing to ignore your human blood."

"How can you ignore half of your mate?" Kagome snapped. "You're going to regret this, Sesshoumaru."

He narrowed his eyes at her expression and scent. "Just as you regret it now?"

"A few days ago, you were in bed with Nami!" she shrieked. "You were asking _her_ to be your mate. _She_ was the suitable one."

"I never asked her to be my mate," he pointed out, willing himself not to hold his ears against her wails. "I have asked _you_."

"Do you love me, Sesshoumaru?"

Slight panic washed through his heart for a moment. He expected this question and had even prepared for it, but now that it faced him, his words ran dry. "You once said that I am not capable of love," he said finally, watching her apprehensive expression fall into one of sadness.

"Of course. Perhaps you aren't," she replied dully and covering her face with her hands. "Either way, this was the biggest mistake of my life."

Sesshoumaru frowned. None of the other females had ever complained. Several of them couldn't even speak afterwards, which he always proudly considered a testament to his skill. "A mistake," he repeated slowly.

"Let's see… I wait for years to be with Inuyasha, he dies, he comes back and then I give my virginity to his brother instead. Yeah, I would call that a huge mistake!" Her eyes were on fire with anger and fear.

He was beginning to become thoroughly annoyed with her. "I did not force you to do anything. This was mutual, Kagome."

"Did I say this was your fault? No, this is mine. I shouldn't have done it." She took a deep breath and said what she had been thinking about from the moment she noticed her attraction to the taiyoukai. "I shouldn't have saved you from that dungeon. I only… I only…" She lost her courage and looked up at the dog demon.

"Proceed," he said, forcing the word out, although he was certain he didn't want to hear the rest of the sentence.

"I only saved you because I wanted a reminder of Inuyasha!" she cried out.

They stared at one another for a long, awkward moment. Although his face was impassive, Kagome saw a myriad of emotions flash through his eyes. Most painful was the expression of realization and betrayal. It cut her heart in half.

"I'm so sorry. I was just being honest. I didn't want to hurt you," she whispered.

His golden eyes ceased their transformations. Kagome was terrified to see that they settled upon rage. "You are mistaken. I am not hurt. A half-breed like you could never hurt me," he replied with a tone of ice.

She took a risk and continued to speak. "But… obviously I have. You asked me to be your mate and I rejected your offer."

"That is of no importance to me. I withdraw the offer," he said, narrowing his eyes at her. "You were suitable, but I will easily find a female who is more experienced in state and… _personal_ matters."

It took a moment for his meaning to sink in, but it hit her with the force of a gale. He was insulting her for her lack of expertise in bed? Kagome couldn't remember the last time she had been so offended, or the last time concern had been so quickly replaced with fury. "You bastard," she seethed. She moved to leave the clearing, but paused and turned back. "If you ever wonder why everyone in Japan _detests_ you so much, remember this moment, Sesshoumaru. _This_ is why you have no friends and _this_ is why you'll never find your perfect female mate. I've always known that you were alone, but realize that it is _your own_ doing."

Kagome turned away and began to walk quickly back to the camp. Her sensitive hearing told her that the taiyoukai remained behind, standing in the clearing alone, but she fought the urge to look back to make sure. She just wanted to get back to the camp, fetch her belongings and leave as rapidly as possible. It would hurt to leave Rin and Washi, but it would be necessary, even if she didn't think her heart could survive another wound.

She replayed their entire conversation in her head, analyzing each part in excruciating detail, but not receiving any comfort.

'_I have chosen you to be my mate.'_

'You once said that I am not capable of love.' 

The two sentences were so contradictory in her mind that she couldn't understand them. The offer to be his mate was real, she was certain, but did he lie about his capability to love? Did she really tell him that he wasn't capable of love? It hurt her to think that she has said such a thing to the dog demon that had taken her into his home and watched over her.

She began to run, as fast as she could with her demon speed, trying to erase everything from her memory and yet failing. Tears threatened to fall again, but she wouldn't let them, not until she had said her good-byes to the children. She just hoped that Sesshoumaru wouldn't beat her there, because then she would cry no matter what happened.

Skidding to a stop, she looked around the camp she had left the previous evening. Keitaro and Jaken were speaking quietly as they stoked the fire while the children slept nearby. The demons looked up as she walked forward, furrowing their brows as they took in her appearance.

The celestial stood up and bit his lip for a moment before speaking. "My lady, are you alright?"

Kagome tried to conjure up indignation at his question, but only succeeded in tiring herself out even more. "I'm sure you can guess how I am at the moment, Keitaro. Forgive me, but I don't feel like talking just now."

"Of course, my lady. I understand."

She silently thanked him for not saying out loud what he was able to smell on her body. As she moved over to her belongings, Kagome saw that the children had opened their eyes and were staring at her with concern. "Hi, guys. Did you sleep alright?"

Rin nodded. "Kagura-san had to leave, but Jaken and Keitaro-san stayed with us until we fell asleep. Keitaro-san knows many wonderful stories."

"I would imagine," she replied. "Keitaro?"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Will you stay with the children and Sesshoumaru-sama for awhile longer? I would like for them to have as much protection as possible." She looked over at toad. "No offense meant, Jaken."

"Meh." He didn't look at her, a sign that his nose was just as good as Keitaro's.

"I would be honored, my lady, to fulfill your wish. Forgive me for prying, but they will still have you to guard them, correct?"

Kagome shook her head. "No, I'm leaving. I can't stay with you guys anymore. Sorry."

Washi jumped up and clutched her wrist. "Mama, you can't leave! Please, don't."

She stroked his cinnamon-colored hair. "I have to, Washi. I'm so sorry, but Sesshoumaru-sama and I have reached a point where we must part ways. I want you to stay with him. He will be able to protect you much better than I ever could, and Rin would be lonely without you."

The eagle child and the human girl looked at each other, making a silent decision. He looked up at Kagome again. "I'm going with you, Mama. Rin and I talked about it last night and we said that if you and Sesshoumaru-sama split up, that I would go with you."

"No, Washi. I won't allow it."

He tugged on her arm again. "Please, Mama, I'll do anything."

She lifted him off the ground and hugged him tightly. "No, darling. I'm not bargaining about this with you when your life is on the line. You could get very badly hurt if you came with me. Stay with Sesshoumaru-sama, where you're safe."

The eagle demon's wings stretched and wrapped themselves around her. "I don't want to lose another mother. I would rather go with you and risk my health than not know what's happening to you. Rin already told me that she'll be okay. She feels the same way about Sesshoumaru-sama. She would never let him leave her."

"But he keeps her safe."

"And you can keep me safe too, Mama. I've seen you fight. You're good. I'll stay out of the way. I promise."

Kagome sighed and squeezed him a bit harder. "Okay, but you have to be careful. You have to do _exactly_ what I say, _the moment_ I say it. I'm not taking any chances with you."

"Yes, Mama."

She set him down and waited for his wings to uncurl before hugging the little girl. "Be good, Rin-chan."

Rin nodded against her shoulder before letting go. Tears lined the small child's eyes so that speaking would make them fall.

Kagome picked up her backpack, and patted Ah-Un a fond good-bye while the children said farewell. She nodded to Keitaro once more and began to walk out of the camp towards the southeast. Washi followed alongside, looking back towards Rin and waving furiously.

Finally, the camp was out of sight and they picked up their pace. "This isn't going to be easy without Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome pointed out. "I plan to kill Kikyo. It'll be dangerous."

Washi nodded. He was highly aware of the peril they were headed towards, but he was also pleased to be with his mother. He hadn't truly expected her to accept his offer of coming along. On the other hand, he knew something was wrong. Without the traditional demon sense of smell, he was quite adept at reading expressions and something about his mama made Keitaro very concerned and very nervous. Jaken was angry and disappointed, and Kagome was despairing beyond words. "Mama?"

"Yes?"

"Did something happen between you and Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Kagome closed her eyes for a moment. "I told you already, Washi. Sesshoumaru and I have just reached a point where we cannot work together anymore. You don't need to know the details."

"Okay…" he muttered. "Does it have something to do with Inuyasha coming back?"

"To a certain extent. I really don't want to talk about it."

Washi nodded and fell silent.

Kagome sighed. "It's just that… I was in love with Inuyasha for years. He was supposed to be 'the one', the person I would spend the rest of my life with. When he died, I just…"

"Went crazy?"

The hanyou rolled her eyes and gave him a half-smile. "Cute, but yes, I suppose that would be the term most people would use. I admit that I wasn't totally sane for awhile there, but I eventually got over it." She lifted her hand to her forehead and it came away sweat-covered. "Although last night might not have been the best treatment for _not_ going wacko again. I feel like I have no soul."

Washi took her hand in his own. "It's okay, Mama. Everything will be okay."

"I'm not so sure, kiddo."

"Sure we will. If we get in trouble, Sesshoumaru-sama will come and save us," he said with confidence.

Kagome frowned and looked down upon her young ward. "What makes you say that?"

"Well, he promised, remember? Kagura-san said that he promised that he would protect you forever and that he would teach you how to defend yourself. He wouldn't leave you…" he trailed off and frowned. "What's the word she used? Vel… no, val… vul… vul…"

"Vulnerable?"

"Yeah, that's it. Weird word, but she said that Sesshoumaru-sama wouldn't leave you like that."

Kagome sighed again. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, Washi. I don't think that that promise really applies to me anymore."

"Why not? He promised!"

His claws were beginning to dig into her hand with his anxiety, but she didn't point it out. The dull physical pain took some focus off the sharp pain in her chest. "Sometimes people break their promises, Washi. I don't blame him for breaking his promise to me, either. In fact, I expected it after what I did."

"What did you do, Mama? Did you hurt him?"

She nodded. "Sort of, yes. He asked me to be his mate and I told him that I couldn't. I don't think he liked my answer. We got into a fight."

Washi considered her words, slipping his hand out of hers. "Why didn't you say yes?"

"Inuyasha's alive."

He shrugged. "But you love Sesshoumaru-sama, don't you?"

Kagome didn't say anything and when Washi looked up, her face was a stone mask, unmoving and unfeeling.

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Washi's head settled into the crook of Kagome's neck as she walked with him in her arms. She was thoroughly thankful for her demon strength, or his weight would have tired her out long ago.

She straightened out a few crooked feathers in his right wing, smiling at how he tucked them closer to his body after she was done. He was a good kid and adorable enough to rival any child, human or demon. For the millionth time, the hanyou wondered why it had taken her so long to warm up to him. He reminded her of Shippo, that much was obvious, but they were far from the same demon. Shippo was smart and fun-loving, but he had always been a bit naïve, as most children were. Washi… Washi had something her grandfather called an 'old soul'. She knew that he didn't say half the wise words he thought. His emerald colored eyes held more knowledge than most adults she knew.

They were both children, both energetic and stubborn, both green-eyed and small for their age. But there was no denying that they were different. The base of their personalities was so unique from each other that the association between them had all but faded from her mind.

She stopped and looked down at the eagle demon again, with his slow, deep breaths tickling her neck. If she could see the difference between the two children that had graced her with the title of 'mama', why couldn't she see the difference between two brothers that were so unique that they could have come from different planets? Inuyasha had been so coarse, but with that proverbial 'heart of gold' that would shine through when it was necessary. Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, was calm and collected with no heart of gold. He did what he wished, when he wished to do it. He was violent and cruel. His hatred of humans was legendary, which was surprising considering that he usually didn't leave any survivors to create such legends.

And yet, she loved him.

Well, she amended, she loved both of them, but Inuyasha was beginning to take a backseat to his elder brother. Sesshoumaru was right, after all. The male hanyou couldn't stay in this world as he was, insane and power-hungry. But what if he changed? Back to the Inuyasha that she once knew, back to the man she fell in love with. Then who would she choose?

The normal Inuyasha would never accept her again if he knew that she slept with Sesshoumaru. For him, the only thing worse would be to have had sex with Naraku himself. She was aware of the irony of the situation, considering that Inuyasha had always run off to be with Kikyo. He didn't sleep with her, but he had cut her deeply and knowingly.

But hadn't she known _exactly_ what she was doing? She recalled the kiss, how he had just pulled her towards him and pressed his lips against hers. It had been amazing, there was no question about that. After a few moments of surprise, she had lifted her arms to wrap around his neck, to pull him closer to her body. She had known where it would lead. After all, they were in an isolated part of the forest, far from anything that could interrupt them. Kagome knew it was Sesshoumaru, not Inuyasha, that she was kissing. And yet, she hadn't stopped it. That had to say something about her relationship with him, the way she felt about the taiyoukai.

She still couldn't get past the fact that Inuyasha would be angry to the point of murder. He had been so protective, when Koga and other males had hovered around. And they did nothing but hold her hand or say a few charming phrases.

And Sesshoumaru had been so rude, that it made her question if she ever wanted to be with him, even if she admit to loving him. He _expected_ her to say 'yes' when he asked her to be his mate. He expected it because he was _Sesshoumaru_. He was the Lord of the Western Lands and he got everything he had ever wished for. But she didn't want to be some prize up for grabs to the highest bidder. Love was important for her, on _both sides_ of the equation. She didn't know if he loved her, but if he couldn't even admit it, she doubted that she would ever be happy with him.

Kagome shook her head. It didn't matter, she told herself. Both of them would reject her now. To Inuyasha, she would be tainted. His brother had touched her in ways that not even he had done in his first life. She wouldn't blame him for not forgiving her, especially when she had slept with him right after finding out about Inuyasha's resurrection.

To Sesshoumaru, she was the ultimate failure. She was a half-breed who dared to refuse a mating offer by the most eligible demon on the entire island. She insulted him, and he could never forgive that. For such a proud creature, Kagome was surprised he hadn't ripped her head off when she said 'no'.

She sighed heavily, trying to end her depressing thoughts.

Washi stirred, trying to tuck his head farther underneath her chin, and Kagome realized that she had been standing in one place for twenty minutes completely unaware of her surroundings. The sky above her was turning pink and orange as the sun began to set, telling her that it was time to find a secure place to sleep.

"Wake up, kiddo."

"Hmm?" He lifted his head and opened his bleary eyes. "Is everything okay, Mama?"

"Yeah, it's fine, but it's time to settle down for the night," she said, placing him on the ground. "We'll find a nice tree around here and I'll start a fire, okay? I'll try to scrounge up something for dinner too."

The eagle demon nodded, but frowned when he noticed her disheartened expression. "Okay. Is there anything I can do, Mama? To help?"

Kagome pulled out a canteen and handed it to him. "We need some water. Do you hear the stream flowing nearby? We've been walking alongside it for most of the day."

Washi nodded. "Yeah, I hear it."

She ruffled his hair. "Good, just be careful, okay? Don't wander too far. If you hear or see anything out of the ordinary, just yell and I'll come get you. I don't smell any demons, but there are other dangerous things in the forest."

"Mama… I'll be fine," he huffed, reminding her with his exasperated tone that he would be a teenager in just a few short years.

"Hmm, okay. Go on then."

The eagle child wandered off with the canteen in his hands, happy that he could do something for his mother. The last remnants of sunlight filtered through the trees. The leaves were beginning to change color to fiery reds, oranges and yellows, creating a rainbow in the forest canopy. Washi wandered slowly towards the stream, reveling in the one quiet moment he had all day. As much as he loved his new mother, her despair and nervousness had even affected his dreams, pushing them into nightmare territory.

It was so heartbreaking to see her depressed again, when he had so hoped that she had healed and gone on to love Lord Sesshoumaru. He would do anything to see her real smile again, like he had seen when she was in the company of the taiyoukai.

He approached the stream slowly, looking side to side for any sign of danger but finding nothing but a few frogs and a couple sparrows darting around the bank. Pleased that he would get through this without making Kagome come save his life, he knelt beside the stream and unscrewed the lid of the canteen. When he looked up again, a beautiful woman was standing waist-deep in the water, looking at him. She looked much like Keitaro, with a pink translucent body and large, soulful eyes. Wrapped in silk, her white hair made her look like Lord Sesshoumaru's sister.

Washi gaped a bit before asking, "Who are you?"

She laughed, an intoxicating sound like chimes. "I'm a water sprite. My name is Oki."

He moved back from the edge a bit. "Like a demon?"

Oki laughed again and shook her head. "No, no. I'm a _sprite_. We inhabit lakes, streams and rivers. Some of my distant cousins inhabit very old trees and forests. We protect them."

Washi clutched the canteen to his chest. "Oh, okay. Sorry. I'll just tell Mama that I couldn't find the stream. I'm sorry I disturbed you."

She reached out with her hand and touched him on the forearm with her cool, damp fingertips. "Don't be silly. Of course you may take some water from the stream."

"Then… then why are you talking to me?"

Oki shrugged and leaned back. "Well, you and your mother have been walking beside my stream all day. I was hoping that you both would stop by the waters to have a drink, because I wanted to help with your problem."

The eagle demon arched an eyebrow, remembering what Sesshoumaru-sama had said about trusting strangers who offered to help. "What problem?"

"She's so sad that I think the entire forest knows of her depression."

"She seems fine to me," he lied.

The sprite gave him a disbelieving look. "You must be mistaken, child. I can smell her sorrow even from here. May I ask what happened?"

Washi shrugged and began tracing shapes in the grass. "I don't know. It has something to do with her old mate and the male she's in love with now. The first one died and I don't think she's really over it. She won't really tell me."

Oki made a little tut-tut noise. "That must be hard, not knowing what's hurting your mother. Was her first mate your father?"

He gave her a small smile. "No, I'm not actually her son, although I want to be."

"Well, I'm sure she considers you her child. You are worried about her like a proper son should be." She grinned. "You even smell like her. I was actually surprised to see that you are a eagle demon, when you have the scent of a dog demon."

Washi's wings stretched out in pride. "Yeah, but actually, even Mama isn't a dog demon. She's just half demon. Of course, she's as strong as any full demon!"

"Of course she is," laughed Oki. "My, you do love her a great deal, don't you?"

"She's my mother," he replied matter-of-factly.

Oki nodded. "It's good that she has someone who takes care of her around."

Washi bit his lip. "Yeah, I guess so. Sesshoumaru-sama used to take care of her though. I think she preferred that." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "I've only met him once, and granted it wasn't a very nice meeting, but her last mate doesn't seem to fit well with her. They seemed to fight too much. I think Mama would be happier with Sesshoumaru-sama. I don't see why she's so torn between them."

"What a logical child you are!" Oki said giggling. "Unfortunately for your mother, love is rarely so logical. It hurts when it doesn't flow smoothly."

"And it doesn't just hurt the people that are in love. Mama is going to have nightmares again tonight. She always does when something is bothering her."

"That's heartbreaking." She appeared sad for a moment and then brightened. "I know what could help!"

The eagle demon's eyes lit up. "Really? What?"

Oki reached out. "Here, give me your water skin," she requested. Once it was pressed into her hands, she raised an eyebrow. "What a strange water skin. Where did your mother get it?"

Washi shrugged. "She calls it a 'canteen'. She probably got it from the place where she's from, but that's very far away. She hasn't been home for a long time."

The water sprite nodded solemnly as she dipped the canteen into the clear liquid around her. "All the more reason she should have this. I can make this water magical. It will make your mother stop worrying about her troubles for a few minutes, just long enough so that she can fall asleep and not have nightmares."

"Wow. That sounds like just what she needs. I don't like it when she cries."

Holding up the canteen, Oki pressed her hand to it and made it glow for a few moments before giving it back to Washi. "She won't cry tonight. I promise. This will help her sleep easy."

He hugged it to his chest. "Thank you, Oki-san. You're very kind."

The water sprite blushed. "Don't be silly. That's why I'm here. So I can help people like your mother. Good luck, child." She waved farewell and melted back into the stream, only leaving ripples where she had just been standing.

Washi ran back the camp, guiding himself by sound and sight. When he reached his mother, she was skinning a few squirrels, blood staining her claws. "Hey there, kiddo. You took your time, didn't you? I was about to go looking for you," she said, looking up at him with a smile and sad eyes. She held up her freshly skinned kill. "There's not much meat on these things, but they'll be enough for tonight. I'll hunt down something larger tomorrow. I kind of regret getting rid of my arrows now, but I doubt you wanted purified deer. Too crispy."

They cooked the squirrels as fast as they could, since the sun had already set, and ate while chatting about nothing at all. It was rather awkward for them, because they could not speak of their shared past, since it involved Lord Sesshoumaru. But neither could they speak of the future, since it held no certainty for them. It ended up being a lot of talk about the weather, how Kagome preferred to hunt than fish and how she wished that she could afford spices to make squirrel meat taste better.

The hanyou threw aside the last bone. "Where's that water you brought back? I'm parched."

"Are you going to bed soon, Mama?" he asked as he threw her the canteen.

She laughed. "Of course not. I need to stay awake so I can protect you. You, on the other hand, _are_ going to get to sleep. I don't know if I can carry you all afternoon like I did today. You're getting to be a big boy, you know?"

He nodded, rather sad that he wouldn't succeed in ridding her of nightmares, but aware that at least she wouldn't worry about her problems all night. "I could keep watch some night."

Kagome opened the canteen and raised an eyebrow. "I guess so, but I would have to feel pretty safe. You don't have a very good sense of smell and that's what most demons use to detect intruders. Eventually though, I will need to sleep. I can't go for weeks on end without rest like some demons can."

"Yes, Mama."

She lifted the container to her lips and drank deeply for a few seconds. "That's better," she said, lowering the canteen. "That fresh spring water really does wonders for your thirst."

Washi looked at her face, still deeply lined with worry. When she began to stare off into the distance, he went up to her and took away the canteen. Oki had messed up, he guessed. Nothing was happening. She still looked like she was dying a painful death. "Mama, I'm going to go to bed now," he said after five minutes of silence.

Kagome swept him up in her arms and hugged him. "Okay, kiddo. Let's get you tucked in."

He laughed. "Tucked in? In a tree, Mama?"

She affectionately pinched his little nose. "Of course. It's getting cold, so you're going to have your blanket with you." She pulled it out of his small bag and leapt up onto a sturdy bough in an elm tree. She bounced from branch to branch until she got to the middle of the trunk, and set him down. "There. You'll be safe up here. I'm going to clean up our campsite and then come up to sit by you. Okay?"

He studied her again, but was disappointed to see no light in her eyes. "Yes, Mama."

Balancing on the thick branches, she began to tuck him in, securely wrapping him in the think blanket Sesshoumaru had provided for him. He had given them many items for this trip, and although she wasn't pleased about using them, she knew it was necessary. Looking down at her still-stained yukata though, she decided that she would change into her slayer outfit as soon as possible.

She finished tucking in her adopted son and was about to say goodnight when a wave of nausea hit her. The world spun around her very fast, forcing her to hold onto a nearby tree limb for support.

Washi sat up and looked at her with concern. "Mama? Are you alright?" He threw aside the blanket and grabbed her arm as she swayed beside him. "Be careful, Mama! You can't fly, remember?"

She looked at him with glassy eyes, hardly registering what he said as her vision faded in and out. "Washi?" she murmured, before losing her balance and falling down though the thick maze of branches. Kagome could barely hear it when the eagle child cried out and reached for her and could barely feel it as the tree bounced her around among its branches, leaving welts, bruises and cuts on her delicate skin.

She hit ground hard, jolting her from a sense of nausea to one of painful self-awareness. Her body felt as if it couldn't move even if she tried. For a terrifying moment, she wondered if she had broken her back or, worse, severed her spinal cord. Then, the fog lifted and she could move her legs and arms, although not very well. Her body was _very_ bruised.

Washi landed next to her. "Mama? Mama?" he cried, too scared to even touch her. "Are you okay? Please tell me you're okay!"

"I'm… I'm fine. I don't know what happened." She slowly rolled over and pushed herself up into a sitting position. "Maybe squirrel meat doesn't agree with me."

"You've had it before," pointed out the boy. His heart was beginning to hurt. Why didn't he listen to Lord Sesshoumaru? He hadn't helped his mother, he had hurt her even more. Was this some sick joke or something more? Either way, he would have to tell her what he did, even if it did make her angry. Even if she didn't trust him anymore.

She clutched at her stomach as another wave of dizziness hit her. "Ah!" she cried. "What the hell is wrong with me?"

Washi fell to his knees beside her and held her wrist. "I'm so sorry, Mama. I was just trying to help!"

Kagome, breaking out in a cold sweat, shook her head. "What are you saying, Washi?"

"The water sprite! She said that she felt your sadness and that she wanted to help. She seemed so nice and so I trusted her. I'm so sorry, Mama. I shouldn't have given you that water. I should have told her to go away. I just wanted you to be happy again."

"Ah!" She fell forward onto the ground, lacking the energy to sit up, much less get angry at someone just trying to help. "I… I forgive you, Washi."

"But you're still sick!" he cried. "Tell me how to make you better, Mama."

Before she could express her doubt that anything could save her at this point, she remembered what Inuyasha always used to do when she was hurt. He killed what had hurt her. "Tell me where this water sprite is. Get me to her."

Washi nodded mutely and helped her to her feet, using all of his strength. Once standing, Kagome seemed to have a bit more control over her body as she walked forward, towards the stream where Oki had tricked her son. Anger that she couldn't direct at him now flowed freely towards the water sprite. She hated being duped, but even more when creatures took advantage of those in her care.

The world was swimming before her, so the eagle child had to lead her slowly. Several times, they had to stop and rest while Kagome lost her vision or another dizzy spell hit her. She didn't tell Washi, but Kagome knew that she was going to collapse sooner rather than later. Whether that meant death or something else, she didn't want to consider, but she knew her last act would be killing the sprite.

It felt as she was walking on knives, but she reached the edge of the stream and even had the energy to tell Washi to stay back before drawing Tetsusaiga. "What was this female's name?" she said heavily, looking at her son with hooded eyes.

"Oki. What're you going to do, Mama?" he asked from his perch in the tree nearby.

"Teach her a lesson not to mess with my pup," she growled. Tetsusaiga pulsed a few times in rapid succession and then transformed into the Fang that had saved her own life so many times. "Oki! Face me!"

She didn't recognize her voice. It was the first time she had ever wanted to hurt someone besides Kikyo out of pure anger and vengeance. And yet it was necessary to avenge Washi, because he would never be the same now. Those wise words he always had for her wouldn't be so confident now. He wouldn't trust anyone again. She nearly wept to see his childhood die.

The water sprite rose out of the water with a malevolent smile painted upon her face. "Did you call, Kagome? I suppose you drank the water then. I'm surprised you made it this far."

"Well, you know, compared to falling out a tree, walking a hundred yards wasn't that big of a deal," she snapped back.

Oki stepped out of the water and drew her own sword. "If you wish to fight, I would do it now. You'll be unconscious quite soon."

Kagome's body was shaking harder than ever, but she managed to lift Tetsusaiga and swing at the water sprite. She easily dodged and elbowed the hanyou in her back. Kagome cried out and fell to her knees, causing her vision to waver again.

"My, that was pathetic," commented Oki. "I probably should just kill you now and get it over with, but this is _quite_ amusing. Almost as amusing as I listened to that eagle demon you keep with you. 'She's my mother,'" she mocked in a sick-sweet voice. "'I don't like it when she cries.' What a disgrace to demonkind to have a child brought up by a half-demon. I remember a time that Sesshoumaru would have killed you for attempting it, but he's changed too. He's a weakling now. It'll lead to his downfall."

_You will never succeed in combat if you cannot control your emotions._ Sesshoumaru's words echoed in her mind, and she had to admit he was right. Oki was trying to force her into acting without thought, something that would surely get her killed. For all her mocking words, the water sprite knew that she would have to strike just right to beat the hanyou with Tetsusaiga.

"Get up, you worthless half-breed!" she screeched.

Kagome flattened her ears and willed her vision to stop swimming. Pushing herself to her feet, she brought Tetsusaiga up to strike again. She was coming to the end. The Fang sapped her energy and she couldn't hold it much longer.

The moment seemed to slow down, stretching out her anxiety to immense proportions. She swung the Fang forward, narrowly missing Oki's shoulder as she ducked out of the way, laughing hysterically. Without thought, nearly dislocating her shoulder, Kagome changed the direction of her strike, reversing in Oki's direction.

She knew she had hit her mark when the laughter stopped and the sprite screamed a long, high pitch. Turning, Kagome saw Oki's body splinter apart as Tetsusaiga transformed back into its usual battered state, not able to draw any more power from the hanyou.

"Mama! You did it!" called Washi. His voice sounded like it was at the other end of a tunnel, echoing and weak.

Kagome's body swayed as she slowly closed and opened her eyes, although she saw nothing anymore. She was blind now. Only by smell could she determine that her son was safe. He was still scared though. He could see that she was sinking into the dark.

Another scent hit her senses, one that scared her beyond reason. "Washi! Come here!" She reached out and felt a hand encircle it immediately. Not her child's talons, but a fully adult clawed one. She tried to pull away, but it only gripped harder. "Inuyasha! Stop it! I know it's you!" she screamed.

"How clever of you," he purred. "You know, I really didn't expect to see you again so soon. I thought it would take much longer for you to turn against Sesshoumaru and strike out on your own."

"Leave her alone!" Washi shrieked.

Inuyasha laughed. "Look at the runt, trying to protect you. Oh, you can't look, can you? You're blind by now. Soon all of your other senses will leave you too." She heard him rustling around. "Too bad for Oki here that you didn't drink the whole dose. Otherwise you would have been unconscious much sooner and she wouldn't have died. Rather sad that she lost to a half-demon who was drugged."

"She… she isn't going to die?" the eagle demon whimpered with the barest trace of happiness.

"Of course not, runt. We _need_ your precious mother to conquer the world."

She heard him walking away from her, towards Washi. "Keep away from him!" She stumbled forward, trying to reach out to hold back Inuyasha.

A slimmer hand grabbed hers, pulling her backwards. "Now, sister, we can't have this sort of discord among us. We're going to be family now."

Kagome struggled against the miko's grip. "Get off of me, you bitch! I'll kill you for this!"

Kikyo laughed and pulled the hanyou closer. "You aren't going to hurt any of us. And don't bother fighting me. Your strength is gone. I felt it as it left your body, along with the rest of your demon senses."

The hanyou closed her sightless eyes as she realized the truth in Kikyo's words. The pain wracking her body seemed to dull, the sounds around her softened and she could no longer smell Washi's fear, Inuyasha's sick joy or Kikyo's malevolence. She was basically a human with dog ears and a strange dye job.

"Washi… run," she choked out. "Get to Sesshoumaru!" She heard his wings open and then his high-pitched yelp. "Washi? Oh god… Washi!"

"Mama!" he cried plaintively before yelping again.

Kagome twisted in Kikyo's grasp and slammed her fist into the miko's face, causing her to cry out and let go. She ran forward, letting her maternal instincts guide her. The pain began to grow throughout her body once again, telling her that she was exerting herself too hard, but she ignored the warning.

Inuyasha's hands grabbed the back of her yukata, hefting her back and off the ground. As Kagome flailed, he laughed. "Stop trying, Kagome. You're just going to fall unconscious faster."

"Stop hurting him!" she sobbed. "Please! I'll do anything!"

The world seemed to hold its breath as Inuyasha set her back down on the ground and held her to his chest. "Anything? Really?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Yes. Please… anything."

"Stop fighting," he whispered in her ear. "Stop or he'll really be in trouble."

She immediately let her muscles go lax, leaning into him. "There. I promise I won't do anything. Just let me go to him."

Inuyasha removed his arms and she lowered herself to the ground, feeling forward for Washi's tiny frame. "Kiddo? Where are you?" Kagome asked, afraid that she wouldn't receive an answer. The pain was getting worse. It hurt her heart and lungs to even talk, but she had to know if he was breathing.

A small moan to her left sent a shock of joy through her body. He was alive. That was all that mattered. Her arm shot out and rested on his soft wings. They were rising and falling with his ragged breaths. "Mama?"

"I'm right here, Washi." She moved to get closer when Inuyasha's arms encircled her waist and pulled her away. "Wait! No! Please let me take care of him. He's hurt!" Pain coursed through her limbs as she tried to fight him off, taking the last of her energy. She went limp in his arms as she drifted away from consciousness.

Inuyasha laughed and dumped her body unceremoniously onto the ground next to Washi. The little boy stared in horror at his mother's pale, sweaty complexion that made her look like she was made of wax. "Please… why are you hurting her?" he asked. "I thought you wanted her to be your weapon."

Inuyasha washed Washi's blood off his hands in the stream and glanced over at him with a smirk. "Well, she didn't come quietly, did she? But that's all for the better. That means that Sesshoumaru will smell her fear and desperation miles away. He'll arrive just as the new and improved Kagome is ready. Then we'll finally be able to kill him."

The eagle child reached out and touched Kagome's hand. Moving was painful, and he suspected he had several grievous injuries, but he couldn't let her go. "Why didn't you kill him last night if you want him dead?" he asked, trying to stay awake.

"Nosy brat, aren't you?" snapped the male hanyou. "Idiotic too. You never send your ultimate weapon out to conquer the world without first testing it out. Sesshoumaru is the most powerful demon in Japan. He's the perfect test subject."

Washi let his eyes lose their focus as he continued to hold onto his mother's hand. He bitterly asked himself why Inuyasha had kicked him so hard. Why did he let Kagome go, only to snatch her back again? _Like a cat playing with the mouse_. He felt sick as he realized Inuyasha's intention to break Kagome's spirit. Then again, Lord Sesshoumaru might have already done that. Was that what the miko meant by saying that it was him that would drive Kagome to being their weapon?

He rested his head against the ground, too tired to think anymore. Nearby, Inuyasha was inspecting Kikyo's face. Her eye was becoming rather puffy and red where Kagome had hit her. The male hanyou was laughing. "That's one hell of a black eye you're going to have, Kikyo, my love. I can't believe you let a weak half-demon hit you."

"I will not happen again," she responded, giving him a cold glare.

"I'm sure it won't. Remember, she's your sister now." He laughed again and looked over towards Kagome's prone body.

"Hmm, I remember. What is she to you?"

Inuyasha grinned. "What do you think? What are you to me?"

Kikyo shrugged. "You love me as you did in your first life, but you do not touch me. For once, Inuyasha, you have confused me." She looked at him carefully for a moment, but he didn't speak, so she continued. "You look at me as a dead woman you loved in life. But you never considered Kagome dead to you."

"Maybe she is now. Can't you smell it? Sesshoumaru has defiled her."

The undead miko's eyes widened. "Oki mentioned something to that effect when she came to us with her whereabouts. I thought we would be pressed for time, if we had to break her spirit even further, but this changes everything."

The male hanyou nodded. "Her heart is black. When she wakes, I will tell her that her precious son is dead. Then she will give her body and mind over to us."

"Inuyasha… if Sesshoumaru has taken her purity, then she is no longer yours," Kikyo warned her partner. She began to laugh, covering her mouth with her deathly white hand. "Does this mean you will live as a monk? Celibate and touching no woman?"

The half demon's eyes blazed as he grabbed the miko's arm. "Listen to me. I can have any woman I want. Sesshoumaru's defilement of her body will be washed away once she enters the service of Amatsu. She will be mine, just as you could be, if I wished it."

Kikyo turned serious. "And why don't you wish it?"

Washi forced himself to remain conscious, knowing that Inuyasha's answer could be important. He didn't quite understand how his Lord Sesshoumaru had 'defiled' his mother, but he was more worried about Inuyasha's tone of voice when he spoke of Kagome as his own.

"You, Kikyo? Why would I encroach upon Amatsu's property?"

The miko lifted her pretty face to look full into Inuyasha's. "So you know."

"I do. I knew the minute I joined your company. I told you. I can smell it on you."

Kikyo laid a hand on Inuyasha's upper arm. "So are we still a family then?" she asked with a seductive smile.

He carefully pried off her fingers. "Of course, love, but I'm not stupid enough to incite the wrath of Amatsu Mikaboshi. Taking one lord's woman is enough for me, especially my idiot brother's." Inuyasha walked to Kagome's body and hoisted her up into his arms. "Still awake, brat?"

Washi blinked and looked up at his tormentor. "Yes. Sesshoumaru will know about this. He'll find you."

Inuyasha grinned. "Oh, I'm counting on it, brat. Be thankful I have to have someone pass on the message, or you'd be dead already." He buried his nose in Kagome's hair and inhaled deeply. "Now, your mother and I have some talking to do."

The eagle child watched helplessly as snake-like demons appeared and carried away his mother and her abductors. As the pain overwhelmed him and pushed him towards darkness, he could only mourn his choice to trust the water sprite, and hope that Sesshoumaru would soon find him.

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A/N: There you are. I love this chapter – I was on fire while writing it and it was pure fun. It's my favorite now. Don't complain about it being a cliffhanger… because I could have ended it when Kagome fell unconscious. Instead, I continued for another page and a half. Yay for being done with finals! Review because I'm having oral surgery tomorrow to take out my wisdom teeth… ugh. Anyway, here's the review responses!

Review responses removed due to ban


	18. My Blood Stained Angel

A/N: 600 reviews! (Actually 599, but who's counting? Haha.) I can't believe you guys are so giving with your praise and critiques! As reward, I made this chapter extra long, so enjoy!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 18: My Blood Stained Angel

Sesshoumaru dipped his blood covered hand into the stream, watching as the viscous liquid lifted off his fingers, diluted and washed away. The water was frigid, numbing him up to the wrist, but he paid no attention. Cold didn't bother him and he had never heard of a demon freezing to death this early in the season. It was actually soothing to have the icy liquid swirling around his fingertips, when they had been so recently covered in the steaming blood of a fresh kill.

He glanced behind him, at the boar lying dead at the base of the elm tree. Its throat was torn out and its eyes, although wholly unintelligent, were wide with fright. A small kill, hardly worth the effort, but it had calmed his nerves a bit. What he really needed, however, was a true battle. It was a shame that Naraku was dead, he mused sadistically. He felt as if he could slaughter the power-hungry hanyou without effort. Inuyasha used to do in a pinch, when he was feeling restless for a fight, but Sesshoumaru was now wary of his recently reanimated brother. There was no predicting what the favored minion of a god could throw at him and he wasn't particularly eager to find out. Not yet, anyway.

Putrid anger rose in his chest as he thought of his brother, the one who had forced him upon this road to hell. Without Inuyasha, his life would have been simple. A life dominated by the desire to gain power and prestige among all demons. Instead, Sesshoumaru had a smear upon his life's work, one left by his frivolous father and his insipid human mate. And just like all stains, Inuyasha's influence spread to every other aspect of the taiyoukai's life.

Standing up, Sesshoumaru felt the momentary calm of killing the boar wash away as he remembered all of which Inuyasha had burdened him. A tainted legacy, a worthless sword, a fight against Naraku, a missing arm and Kagome.

_Kagome_. The name seared into his mind like a tag of degradation and idiocy. What had he been thinking, to ask her to become his mate? She was a half-demon, the epitome of everything that had marred his once satisfying, hanyou-free life. She was everything that he had wanted to avoid in life, and in a moment of instinct-driven madness, he almost surrendered his freedom to her.

Sesshoumaru placed his hand upon the trunk of the tree and allowed his claws to dig into the bark. He peeled it away as if it were the flesh of one of his kills, effortlessly and without mercy. Four deep marks were now permanently etched into the inner core of the elm.

How could she? That _insolent little bitch_, he thought vehemently. Never mind that he would never have gone through with it, even if she had agreed, but who did she think she was? She was _nobody_, just a vermin that managed to bite through his shackles back in some disgusting dungeon that he then graciously allowed to accompany him. Without him, Kagome was no one. She couldn't even wield the Tetsusaiga properly. And she _dared_ to reject him? It was preposterous, something that not even his father would have believed.

The dog demon took a deep breath and pulled his claws from the elm tree. There was no need to tear down the forest, he told himself. After all, there was a perfectly good explanation for why he had acted in such a brash manner around a half-breed. Instinct.

She had intoxicated him with her scent, something that male demons could rarely resist, particularly if they had been shut up in a dungeon for five months without female company. Kagome had been the first female he had been close to for so long that his brain had just gone a bit _haywire_. He fixated upon her, he slept with her and now there was no more to be concerned about. The fixation was over and she was gone. That was it.

Still, _he_ was the Lord of the Western Lands and she had tried to humiliate him. He should have killed her for it, made her blood seep into the earth as a warning to all those who would dare oppose the taiyoukai of the West. It would have been a proper sentence for such a female.

He closed his eyes and pushed away the mental image of Kagome dying at his feet. It was not as therapeutic as he would have thought. Instead, it was beginning to make him feel a bit ill. Perhaps that wave of nausea was what stayed his hand that morning, when she had stalked away from him after being so venomous. Besides, he had made an oath to her that he would not harm her, and he intended to keep it, although his other promises would surely be broken.

His anger began to ebb away as he employed the meditation techniques his tutors had taught him so many years ago. Violence was a temporary solution, they would have said, even though the taiyoukai never really listened to that particular lesson. Temporary, and yet permanent, as one problem was replaced by another. He doubted if Kagome's death would have any effect on the world, but he chose to honor his teachers' words for once. After all, she was certain to be gone when he reached the others and there was no point in wasting time tracking her down.

Looking up into the clear sky, Sesshoumaru decided to return to camp. It was nearly mid-morning and he still planned on travelling quite a ways before dusk. The boar he left behind, wallowing in its own blood. It would be some other creature's breakfast. Some animal's lucky day.

Crystalline sunbeams peeked through the treetops as the taiyoukai moved through the forest. It was quiet, as if every animal and demon knew what sort of humor he was in and knew that he was best to be avoided. Violence was a temporary solution, but that didn't preclude him from using it when he wished.

He approached the camp slowly, using all of his senses to detect the goings-on. Kagome was no longer there, having taken even a more rapid flight than he had anticipated. Her scent was growing stale in the air already, along with the scent of the eagle child. Anger began to flare up in his chest once again, a hallmark that it had never been truly suppressed. Washi was not _supposed_ to leave his care. He was to be Rin's companion and he didn't care to see Rin heart-broken.

Pushing aside a few stray branches, he stepped into the clearing, where a fire was smoldering and a young girl was holding back tears. Keitaro and Jaken looked up at him, not surprised to see him, but not pleased either. The celestial demon gave him a rather icy glare before turning his back to check upon Rin. The little girl accepted a cloth to dry her eyes gratefully and smiled at her lord's return. Jaken bowed to his lord, but uncharacteristically had nothing to say. Confusion and anger emanated off of the little imp in waves, however, telling Sesshoumaru that even he had smelled the scent of sex and despair upon the hanyou as she passed through.

"Where is the boy?" asked the taiyoukai, even though he already knew the answer.

"He went with Kagome-san," answered Rin. "I let him go. Don't be mad at him, Sesshoumaru-sama." She stood up and pressed her hands together in supplication, trying to hide her water-stained face.

"You should not have allowed him to go without consulting me first, Rin," the inuyoukai admonished.

He tried not to allow his emotions to show as he spoke to her. No matter how angry he felt, he could not conjure any true feelings of displeasure towards the little girl. But despite his soft voice, Rin cowered and lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, my lord. You're right."

Another surge of fury washed through him as he subconsciously blamed Kagome for the hurt look in his ward's expression. "Do not be concerned, Rin," he told her, the closest he would come to reassurance while he was in this mood.

She brightened considerably, although sadness still rimmed her eyes. "Yes, my lord!"

Sesshoumaru nodded and turned once again to business, trying unsuccessfully to keep the dangerous edge out of his tone. "Keitaro."

The celestial demon stood from where he had been packing up his belongings and bowed stiffly. "How may I help you, my lord?" he asked formally.

The inuyoukai internally growled at the youkai's change in demeanor. Last night, he had been so forthcoming that he had almost found himself on the sharp end of Sesshoumaru's claws, and now he was behaving like a Western foot soldier. The celestial was clearly annoyed at him, and probably sympathized with Kagome, with whom he had an immediate bond. Nothing irritated Sesshoumaru as much as demons that failed to successfully hide their contempt. He only hoped, for Keitaro's sake, that he had enough sense to remain quiet about what had transpired the previous night. "You will return to the Western City," he ordered, "and you will bring the others with you. I have decided to pursue Amatsu on my own and they will only hinder me."

He heard Rin take a quick breath through her teeth and imagined that she was biting her tongue to keep herself from protesting. In truth, he did not want to part from her. She transformed tedious patrols into amusing journeys, but this was no longer safe for her. Without Kagome's assistance, Sesshoumaru could not ensure Rin's safety at all times and, as repellant as the idea was, Keitaro was the best choice to get her back to the city.

"If Rin is harmed, your life will be forfeit, Keitaro," he warned.

The celestial bowed deeply. "No harm will come to any of them as long as I live, my lord."

Sesshoumaru could see that the Northern demon had no desire to continue contact with this rapidly disintegrating family, which, in a perverse way, made the order all the more satisfying. No one would escape from unfavorable tasks this day. "Jaken," he said, startling the imp out of his preparations.

"Yes, my lord?"

"When you arrive at the city, find Nami-san. Tell her I have reversed my decision to allow her to return to her own clan." He set his heart in ice once again and breathed out the last words quickly. "She is to become my mate upon my return. There will be no arguments."

Jaken nodded vigorously. "Nor would I expect any, my lord!" He scuttled over to the dragon and attached the last of their belongings to Ah-Un's flank. "Come on, girl. Lord Sesshoumaru needs things to be done, messages to be delivered and I won't wait for you all day!"

Rin sighed and wandered toward her lord, despite the imp's sputters. "So Nami-san will become Lady of the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He nodded once. "She is a judicious choice."

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "She's nice. I guess she'll be okay. Will she teach me from now on?"

Relieved to not be thinking about the fate of Japan or of Kagome for one short moment, Sesshoumaru indulged her questions. "Would you prefer another tutor?"

Rin shook her head slowly. "Whatever you wish, my lord."

Her strange attitude confused him slightly, but he quickly decided that it was probably the thought of their imminent separation that ailed her. He placed his hand on top of her raven-colored head. "I will return before the first snowfall, Rin."

She gave him another one of her sad smiles. "Yes, my lord. Don't forget about us."

His ward said that every time he left her, for four years without fail. Usually he didn't grace her with a response, but since her mere presence prevented him from killing every living creature within a five mile radius, he once again gave into her pleas. "I will not forget you, Rin. I will return."

Rin bowed, as he had taught her to do many years ago, and ran back to Ah-Un, swinging herself up onto his back. Jaken quickly joined her after making sure every pack was secure.

"I will inform your generals of your movements, my lord," said Keitaro, opening his wings and shaking them out. "We will await your return." He bowed once more and pushed off the ground, clearly eager to escape the discomfort of the situation on the ground. Rising above the trees, he waited for Ah-Un to join him.

The dragon began to hover above the thin grass, its occupants looking back at their lord with some fear in their eyes. They worried that he would not return, but they knew better than to waste Sesshoumaru's time with such banter. Instead, Rin waved her hand slowly as they rose up into the sky.

In a few moments, he was alone in the clearing. It suddenly seemed desolate, despite the warm colors of the transforming trees around him. He felt chilled to the bone as he listened to the crackling of the swaying branches.

For a second, he paused, considering his possible paths. He could go southeast, in Kagome's footsteps, to the heart of Amatsu's land. It was a road that would surely bring them within close proximity to each other once again and, although it would eventually be unavoidable, he had no desire to do so at that moment. The other choice was to go east, into the bear clan's territory, where the rumors told of his mother's presence. The leader of the east was strong yet impatient, which frequently hindered his decision-making skills. Of the four lands, the east had always had the most trouble keeping skirmishes at bay and rebels repressed. If he knew the impetuous bear lord, Kuma, as well as he thought, wide patrols throughout his lands would be spotty at best.

Although he knew Amatsu was the more pressing matter, Sesshoumaru could not bring his feet to move southeast. He blamed his separation from Rin and Washi entirely upon Kagome's shoulders. If he met her now, he would certainly fight her and that was not acceptable. So instead of taking her path, he turned to the east and began to walk towards the rising sun.

For many hours he walked through the forest without encountering a living creature bigger than a sparrow. He suspected that it was his scent of rage, so strong that even mindless beasts could sense that he was dangerous. Now that Rin was gone and no one was around, Sesshoumaru freely allowed his anger to rise and fall within his chest, like the tide of the ocean. He harped on his morning's thoughts endlessly, each time reaching the same conclusion: Kagome had been wrong and stupid to have rejected him, but he would never have accepted her once his mind had cleared anyway. The rejection part made him angry, the thought of _him_ eventually rejecting _her_ pacified him. The cycle continued for the entire morning and into the evening, nearly driving the taiyoukai insane. Even as he meditated during the night, he had no peace of mind.

The next morning, as soon as he set out again, Sesshoumaru caught the scent of a pair of humans walking towards him. A woman and a man, if his nose served him well. Normally, there would be no hesitation in changing his course. Although he freely killed bandits, human women were not his usual prey, much out of respect for Rin and what she would become one day.

But these humans were different. He had smelled their scents before, not too long ago. He couldn't place them however, in the myriad of human aromas that he tried so desperately to forget.

Slightly intrigued, Sesshoumaru leapt up into the boughs of a nearby tree, allowing the leaves to largely hide him from view. He waited patiently for many moments, until the tell-tale thrashing of human travelers told him that they were below him. They spoke in low tones, but the taiyoukai could hear every word.

"The children will be so happy, Danjuro," the woman was saying.

"We cannot return to the village yet, my wife. There are many more objectives our master wishes for us to secure."

"Of course, but after all, that half-breed monster was the only demon that has ever successfully come into our village and lived to tell the tale. I still feel that Basho and Chie lost faith in us that day." The woman stopped moving across the ground and sighed. "I was hoping to tell them this happy news and rally the rest of the village to our master's call."

Sesshoumaru moved silently in the treetop, earning a partially obscured view of the pair of humans. He frowned as he realized that his instincts had been correct. These were two of the slayers from the village that had tormented Kagome, an incident that seemed very long ago, although it had really only been three weeks previous. They were the ones whose bloodlust had never died in that confrontation, and, as Kagome later told them, the ones that had exposed her to such danger.

The man was gazing at his wife, considering her words. "They will not be pleased," he said slowly, "that we have joined a lord who has demons as allies, Kita."

"I know this, husband, but our master must use them. We have both heard his words. 'To defeat Japan's demons, you must use Japan's demons.' And it is true. No human army could destroy them. His alliance with demonkind is temporary, until they have all killed each other. Then he will usher in a golden age for humanity. For us!"

Danjuro threaded his fingers through Kita's hair. "Yes, I know, my dear. His vision is why I followed him and why our people must follow him as well. But I do not believe they will do so willingly."

"They will," Kita stated with confidence. "They will once they hear that the half-demon who escaped from us is now under his sway. She is the tool of our master until her death!"

The taiyoukai's eyes widened as he heard the woman speak. Kagome had apparently defied every lesson he had ever given her and been promptly captured. Even as he sat there in the branches of the yellow-leafed tree, she could be in pain or, worse, becoming the crucial third part of Amatsu's weapon. His hand tightened upon one of the boughs, causing it to crack and the humans to pause.

"What was that?" asked the woman, suddenly fearful.

The man brought her close to him, holding her to his chest and looked around before stepping away again. "Nothing, I am sure. A bird." He stroked her cheek, calming his wife immediately. "Please go on."

"Yes. She will bring the fall of Sesshoumaru," continued Kita, "and then all of the West shall be open to us!"

"The North must also fall," warned her husband.

"And it will, with our people's help. Then, the weapon will be destroyed and our lives will have no need for slaying. Demons will no longer walk in Japan."

Danjuro frowned and scratched the nape of his neck. "Sesshoumaru is a difficult foe, and the celestials are almost as hard to kill. It is a rough road that lies ahead of us, my Kita." He placed a hand over his wife's mouth, silencing her as she opened it to speak. "But I will do this, for you and our children. And for revenge against the only demons that have ever walked away from us unharmed."

Kita smiled malevolently. "Did you hear what the yurei said?"

A ghost? Sesshoumaru frowned as the word spilled from the woman's murderous lips. What possible reason would a ghost have to speak with a mortal? The spirits of the dead were troublesome, occasionally dangerous, and frequently sought mortal life. There was only one possibility that the inuyoukai could conceive. The shadow creatures that had attacked Kagome were ghosts. But even that idea was preposterous. Yurei were weak, retained the appearance they had in life and haunted the place they had had their unfortunate deaths. He shook his silver head, determined to investigate the matter further at another time.

The man shook his head. "No. What happened?"

"Last night," she gushed, hardly able to keep the words in her mouth, "when Inuyasha and the miko went to capture the half-breed, they found the child with her. The one that tried to help her escape the village."

Danjuro leaned forward, now thoroughly intrigued. "What did they do with the brat?"

She laughed, throwing her head back and exposing her throat. "They used him, hurt him so that the half-breed would not fight. Then, they left him there. I doubt if he survived the night. An animal probably put the monster out of its misery."

Sesshoumaru's eyes glowed scarlet upon her announcement, his control breaking as she spoke of Washi. Abandoning all pretence, he leapt down through the branches to the ground, landing softly behind Danjuro. Kita's eyes widened as she saw the demon lord descend, and he had a vicious pleasure in hearing her heart speed up to a terrifying rate.

The human male turned slowly, trying to control his panicked breath and failing. To his credit, however, Danjuro held his head high when he saw the raging taiyoukai standing so close, with his claws wrapped around Tokijin.

The taiyoukai advanced slowly, his golden orbs still hidden by the red haze. "Where is the child?" he growled. "And where have they taken Kagome?"

Danjuro took a step back, but Kita held her ground. Her feet refused to move, although she knew that she could never take on a dog demon, with or without the help of her husband. "We aren't going to tell you, monster!" she finally said, pulling out her thin katana blade. Hearing the sing of the metal, her husband unsheathed his as well.

Sesshoumaru tilted his head, studying his opponents for a brief, before lifting his hand off of Tokijin. Before the pair could breathe a sigh of relief, Sesshoumaru made a sweeping motion with his arm. From his hand, a glowing green whip emerged, striking the ground beside Kita. As she flinched away, Danjuro began to scream.

Her husband was now lying in a pool of blood, his severed hand still holding his sword feet away from the oozing stump that had been his wrist. Kita felt dizzy, stepping backwards and running up against a tree. She had never seen so much blood, even on the rare occasions a demon hunt had gone badly. Her breath quickened as she watched the father of her children squirm on the ground, holding his mutilated arm to his chest. The liquid seeped into his brown clothes, staining them a horrible black.

The taiyoukai turned his gaze towards the woman, the red glow never flickering for a moment. "Tell me what I wish to know, or you will both die." His eyes traveled down to her hand, where it was tightening and loosening around her katana's hilt in rhythm with her breathing. "If you attack, I will kill you anyway," he said in a deadpan voice.

Kita stared at her bleeding husband and how his face had turned ash gray and slick with sweat. Letting the sword fall from her grip, she fell to her knees and crawled over to Danjuro. She felt no shame as she ripped up her outer kimono and wrapped it around his forearm, trying desperately to stop the flow of blood. Her mind told her that he had lost too much blood, and that he was shaking from severe shock, but she worked anyway.

Sesshoumaru watched this futile exercise with interest. His poison whip was like a snakebite; it left the injured flesh unable to cauterize its own wound. No amount of healing could save this man, except Tenseiga once he was dead. As the woman continued to shred her clothing, the taiyoukai became increasingly bored with the act. "Tell me what I wish to know," he repeated, the promise of more carnage lacing his tone.

Beside her, Danjuro let out a pitiful moan and stopped shaking. Blood was everywhere, but Kita still reached over to touch her husband's neck, crying aloud when she felt no pulse. She turned a venomous eye to the taiyoukai. His own gaze had faded to its usual molten gold, but anger still swirled in his eyes. Even so, the anger she felt matched his and she stood up to face him. "I will never tell you where they are!" she hissed. "I am _glad_ that the child is dead and I'm even happier that the half-breed's soul is dying at this very moment. You will never pollute this land with your offspring again, you foul monster!"

She moved to fetch her katana, but instead was slammed up against a tree trunk with the taiyoukai's hand wrapped around her throat. His eyes were once again glowing with hatred and vengeance and she could feel the pinpricks of his poison claws digging into her delicate flesh. He leaned in very close, taking a deep breath of her fear-laced scent. "Tell me where the boy and Kagome are, or I will hunt down your children and rip out their throats." He took another deep breath, picking up the older scents in her clothing. "Three of them. Two boys and a girl."

Kita's eyes widened as they flashed back and forth between her dead husband and the taiyoukai. He was serious. The eagle demon was his son, and the half-breed was his lover. The realization hit her like a lightening bolt, transporting her back to her very first lesson on demon-slaying with her father. _Youkai will do anything to protect their mates and their children. Do not interfere with these bonds, for it will mean your death._ "Directly south of here. About six hours walk, maybe seven, for a human at least. That's where they captured her. I don't know where they took her. Probably to our master, but I have no idea where he lives."

He increased the pressure on her throat, making her whimper in pain. She deserves it, he thought wickedly, for giving Kagome so much pain. "Tell me what you know about Amatsu. And _do not_ tell me of his divinity. I know that already. I want his weaknesses."

"He doesn't have any. He's a god," she breathed. Kita grabbed at his hand as the pressure increased for a moment, reminding her that oxygen was a luxury at this point.

"Tell me something I can use," he snapped. His eyes narrowed as he considered the possibilities, weaknesses that a human would never consider. "If he is a god, why must he use a demon army? Why doesn't he use his own power?"

Kita closed her eyes. "I can't. Amatsu would kill me in a worse way than you ever could."

Sesshoumaru growled, but released her, realizing that she was right. He had been there when Ukon had been liquefied in his infirmary, with a poison so acrid that it had eaten through the floor. The human female was right; he could never torture someone like a god could. He stepped away from her and began to walk south.

"Wait!" she called after him. He turned and gave Kita a questioning look. She stretched out her arms towards the taiyoukai and nodded towards the corpse of her husband. "Please, I have heard you have power over life and death. Please, revive him."

"Why should I revive him?" he snarled. "Your village kills my kind. You tortured the woman that I have in my care. You are fortunate that I did not kill you as well. Up until just moments ago, you still swore against me and my companions."

"You killed my husband!" she shrieked.

"And you have killed my brethren. Do not try to fool me with your whining and your acts. You are still the treacherous human that turned an entire village against two helpless creatures a few weeks ago."

Kita lowered her head, considering her options. Betray her master or betray her husband? "He has a human shell," she said quickly, looking back up at the taiyoukai.

"What?"

"Amatsu is within the body of a human. That's why his powers cannot reach their full potential, and why he needs your female…" she trailed off as her stomach dropped and fear crept into her heart. Her eyes grew wide. "Kill me! Please! Before he does!"

Her skin began to crack, the black lines of death sprawling across her skin as it had done to Ukon. Sesshoumaru watched for a moment in silence, wondering if he should end her suffering. The fissures grew larger as Kita screamed for mercy, and the taiyoukai made his decision. His poison whip darted out across the space between them, striking her in her heart and releasing the poison within her. But she no longer felt it. Kita's eyes slid shut and she collapsed beside her husband, the black pitch mixing with his crimson blood.

Without pause, the taiyoukai turned south and began to run towards what he hoped what be a living eagle demon and a healthy Kagome.

For two hours he ran at full speed, ignoring the branches clawing at his clothes and hair, and the forest creatures staring at him in surprise. He was about to turn back, to revive Danjuro and beat him into telling the truth, when he heard a soft crying up ahead. It surprised him that he had heard the child first, but as he raced forward, he realized that the stench of death would cover any demon's scent. Crossing a stream, he realized with a twinge of relief that the death clock had chimed over a water sprite, and not his ward.

He stopped on the embankment and looked up into the branches of the nearby oak. A wing peeked out of the leaves, shaking with each quivering breath of the eagle child. Sesshoumaru walked to the base of the tree and fixed his eyes on Washi, whose tear-stained face gleamed in the late morning sun. "Are you injured?"

Washi started, opening his eyes and pushing away from the branch he had had his stomach pressed upon. After a moment, however, his gaze focused on the taiyoukai. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" he cried, his voice cracking. He had been awake all night, crying himself hoarse, until the morning light had finally lulled the exhausted boy to sleep.

The inuyoukai reached up, taking the child's hand and helping him down to the ground with care. Kneeling beside the boy, he inspected his wings, which were thankfully not broken. To break an eagle demon's wings was the epitome of cruelty, for it was almost impossible to heal fully, usually condemning the demon to walk instead of fly. The rest of Washi's body was another matter. He was patterned with bruises and cuts, each one more gruesome than the last. It surprised him when the boy pulled his battered arm out of his grasp. "Did I hurt you?" Sesshoumaru asked, looking up at him.

"No. You… you were growling," the boy whispered in response. "I'm sorry!" He began to sob.

For once in his long life, Sesshoumaru was quite startled. He hadn't been aware he had been growling, but that was logical considering the boy's state of health. The sobbing on the other hand, completely mystified him. "You have done nothing…" the taiyoukai stopped mid-sentence and stared at the child. "What happened here?"

Between Washi's disjointed, tear-stained story and the tale his nose told him, Sesshoumaru eventually had a clear idea what had occurred the evening before. It took every ounce of his willpower to not allow his eyes to glow their burning red upon hearing the latter part of the tale, of when Inuyasha arrived and took Kagome. He had already claimed victory over his elder brother, it would seem. How wrong you are, Inuyasha, the taiyoukai thought viciously.

"Washi, stop crying. I do not blame you for these events." He gave him a sharp glance as the child's cries softened. "We shall, however, have a talk about the dangers of trusting strange sprites when we return to the West."

The boy nodded solemnly and then lit up when the meaning of Sesshoumaru's words finally sunk in. "You mean, we're going back to the West?"

"Soon, yes. I am beginning to fear this war will take the strength of my entire army."

"Will Mama go back with us?"

The taiyoukai hesitated, and then nodded. "Yes, if she is willing." He chose not to tell the boy that Kagome might be a lost cause, and that perhaps becoming a weapon of Amatsu was an irreversible condition. And he certainly wouldn't talk of the seething anger he still held against her.

"Inuyasha wants you to go after him. He said that you were going to be used to test their power."

"I do not doubt it."

They sat in silence for a few moments while Sesshoumaru resumed his inspection of Washi's injuries. Although he wanted to slice apart Inuyasha and Kikyo for doing such wicked things to such a small child, he had to admit that Washi was healing quite well. Even the most serious cuts would be gone in a few days.

"How did you 'defile' my mother, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The inuyoukai's head snapped up. "What? Where did you hear that?"

Washi squirmed, suddenly uncomfortable under the inuyoukai's gaze. "When Inuyasha was here, he told Kikyo that you defiled Mama. He said it wouldn't matter once Mama joined Amatsu though, and then he could have her."

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I would have thought that the undead miko was the object of my brother's attraction."

"No. He said he wouldn't try to steal Amatsu's woman." Washi looked perplexed for a moment. "He said he'd only steal one lord's female. Yours. What did he mean? Do you love my mother now, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

The inuyoukai stood up so fast that Washi didn't even see him move. "Inuyasha was talking about…" he paused, trying to find the right words. "He spoke of Kagome as the female under my care. The defilement of which you speak is of no consequence. It is an ugly word for something Inuyasha has no conception of."

This speech did nothing to stop the questions swirling in Washi's mind. In fact, it created more, but he knew enough to not anger the demon lord by asking more questions. Not even he needed a sense of smell to tell that Sesshoumaru was beyond rage. And yet, there was one question he had to ask. "Are we going to go save her?"

His breath caught in his throat at the idea of seeing her with Inuyasha. They could be lovers now, an easy shift of relations that would have followed her descent into Amatsu's service. Or worse, he realized with a shudder, Inuyasha could have claimed Kagome as his mate. Then he would have truly lost her. Only Inuyasha's death would release her, and she had made it quite clear that she wouldn't be allowing that. Despite all of that, he heard himself reply with a soft 'yes'.

Washi spread his wings, a bit more slowly than usual out of consideration for the beating his body had gone through. "Great! Let's go then!"

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "No. Not now. Tomorrow we will search for Kagome."

"Tomorrow?" the child echoed in disbelief. "But they took her last night! They could be doing awful things to her right now, making her into that weapon!"

"I know," he responded, slightly chagrined that he was having this conversation with a child. How could he explain to a tiny demon that if he didn't spend the night meditating, calming his nerves, that the thought of Inuyasha with Kagome might send him off the deep end, turning him into the bloodthirsty dog form that would kill everything in its path? "I must… prepare for the encounter."

"But…"

"I will not have her killed because of my impatience!" he snapped, immediately regretting it as he watched Washi cower. He sighed. "I am trying my best, but you must understand that I am not accustomed to saving others' lives."

Washi shrugged, letting Sesshoumaru's bout of temper wash away. "You saved _me_."

The inuyoukai shook his head. "My scent still lies upon you and for that reason only, you are still alive. No youkai would dare to cross me by killing one under my protection."

"Mama has your scent on her too, doesn't she?"

Sesshoumaru grimaced slightly at the seemingly innocent question. "Yes, but that would not prevent Inuyasha, Kikyo or Amatsu from harming her." He had to admit to himself that his scent all over Kagome's body would probably drive Inuyasha to hurt her even more, or urge on the instinct to cover it with his own hanyou stench. Again, the thought of his brother and his one time lover together angered him more than he would have guessed.

Their conversation ended there, in midstream and without reaching the opposite embankment. They walked to the clearing that Kagome and Washi had stopped in the evening before to retrieve Kagome's belongings. It was the child's suggestion and the taiyoukai decided that moving away from the corpse of the water sprite was prudent, and so he agreed. When they reached the patch of grass, with its dead fire pit, no yellow bag remained.

"A demon might have taken it," offered the boy.

The inuyoukai shook his head. "The bag carries my scent as well, and I sense no other youkai in the area. Kagome returned to fetch it herself."

The revelation pushed them into complete silence. Like a child, Sesshoumaru turned it over in his mind. Kagome had returned for her bag, but not for the boy. She knew that he had witnessed her kidnapping and yet offered no help, no condolences. There was only one likely explanation. Kagome had fulfilled her part of the triumvirate, and she now was the final facet upon a terrible weapon.

His hand clenched beside him. The idea of Kagome's total disappearance from his life, so appealing just the day before, now turned to rot. It hurt his heart to think of her as lost. "We will rest here," he said, trying not to trip over his words.

Wordlessly, Washi agreed and settled upon a low branch of the tree Kagome had fallen out of just the night before. The blanket she had used to tuck him in still hung in the boughs above him, but he made no move to get it. It was bad enough seeing the claw marks upon each branch, where she had tried to stop her fall. Even so, he forced himself to sit there, as penance for betraying his mother. The fact that neither she nor Sesshoumaru had become angry with him for such an awful act made him feel even worse.

Looking over at the taiyoukai, however, he decided that he was better off. The dog demon appeared to be the same proud, strong creature, but his rage and sadness was barely suppressed. For Washi, it was blatant.

Hours passed quietly. The eagle child fell in and out of fitful sleep, never speaking when he woke to find Sesshoumaru looking at him with a bare trace of concern. The taiyoukai himself felt no better than the child. Meditation only served to smooth his frayed nerves, but did nothing to prepare him for the upcoming confrontation.

What is past, is past, his mentors would have said. Look to the present, for only there can you affect the future.

If they were still alive, Sesshoumaru would have liked to give them all a good kick in the rear.

He sighed and looked up at the sky, surprised to see the stars fading and dawn's light reaching across the dome above him. Soon, it would be time to follow Kagome's footsteps once more and to find her, transformed or not, and to bring her back.

Would she look the same? Her innocent brown eyes and her crimson streaked hair, with the puppy ears atop her head? Would she be cold and cruel, as Inuyasha had become? Would she remember her life? Would she remember him?

He snarled at his own capricious thoughts, banishing them to the back of his mind. It didn't matter, he told himself. What was important was the fate of Japan, particularly the West, and although he would try not to harm Kagome, neither would he let her destroy what his family had worked so hard to protect for millennia.

The sky was slowly turning pink, warning Sesshoumaru that time was growing short. Across the clearing, Washi woke from yet another dark dream and they stared at one another. "Is it time to go get Kagome?" the boy asked quietly, knowing that the taiyoukai could hear him.

He stood up and curled his tail around his shoulder. "Yes. Are you feeling well?"

"Better, yeah," he answered despondently. "You won't hurt her, will you?"

"No."

"Promise?"

He hesitated, knowing that if Inuyasha's previous behavior was any indication, Kagome might require some firm handling. "I will try my best."

They began to walk east, following the path Kagome would have taken. Sesshoumaru was surprised to sense faint traces of her presence, hovering around him like rose petals floating in the air. It was strange. He thought her aroma would have long since faded, even if she did return briefly to get her bag.

As they continued walking, Sesshoumaru's suspicions grew. Kagome's scent was not drifting away with the breeze as it should have done. In the early afternoon, he found an apple core, not even browned with time. Kagome had eaten this apple. It had been the last that she had plucked from the tree on the first day of their journey east, when she had so carelessly toppled him over with her paranoia.

A crimson strand of hair winked at him, catching the late afternoon sunlight. A footprint was smudged into the fresh mud along the shore of a small lake in the early evening. When the crickets began their simple song at dusk, he found an empty cup with writing upon it at the base of a dogwood tree. Ramen.

The pair of demons stood there, staring at the damning evidence for long moments. "She's okay then," Washi finally said, hope lacing his voice.

"She is _toying_ with us," Sesshoumaru gritted out.

The boy frowned. "But we're still here to help her, right?"

Against his better judgement, the taiyoukai nodded his assent. "We must use caution, however. I do not know what exactly I am to be fighting."

A soft, feminine laugh echoed throughout the trees, causing Sesshoumaru to hiss with surprise. He felt Washi grip the fabric of his empty sleeve, his body trembling and sending waves up to the taiyoukai's shoulder.

Golden eyes darted over every shrub and tree in the immediate area, searching for the source of the laugh, but no one was there. "Kagome," he said aloud, trying to keep his voice calm and even. "We know that you now serve Amatsu. Show yourself."

A veil seemed to lift from his eyes as the last rays of the afternoon sun shone through the boughs of the dogwood tree. There, sitting with her arm propped upon her bent knee, Sesshoumaru saw the silhouette of the hanyou among the last dogwood blossoms. He lifted his hand to shade his eyes, trying to see her face and her features, but failed. She was a black figure against a rose-hued sky. She still smelled of mandarin oranges, but as the last light faded, Sesshoumaru saw that no trace of his Kagome remained.

Her hair and her eyes were entirely crimson, making her appear as if she was drenched in blood. Dressed in her leather slayer outfit, she was the essence of danger, a fiery hellcat that spoke of barely suppressed malice. She smiled a predatory smile and gracefully eased herself onto the ground. Her claws dripped with the blood of demons, spattering across the grass as each droplet fell. "When Inuyasha awakened me, he said that it might be awhile before I could meet you once again," she purred. "How pleased I am to see that he was incorrect."

Sesshoumaru ignored the mocking lilt in her voice. "You will stop this foolish behavior and you will return with me to the West."

She laughed and he was irritated to hear that it no longer retained the bell-like quality it once had. "How amusing you are, Sesshoumaru! Return with you? To the West? As what, may I ask? Your children's tutor? Your honored guest? Your mate?"

For a moment, the taiyoukai said nothing. He hardened his heart as best he could against the blood-soaked hanyou before him. "I will fight you, if necessary."

Washi made himself known once again at this statement. "No! Sesshoumaru-sama, you promised you wouldn't hurt her," he begged. Seeing that no emotion flickered in the dog demon's eyes, the boy turned to his mother. "Please, Mama, don't do this. Inuyasha lied to you. Look, I'm alive. Please don't give into them!"

Kagome lounged against the dogwood tree and crossed her arms. "You really think that makes any difference, you little brat, that you live?" she asked. "I joined Amatsu with joy. He is what I have missed my entire life."

The inuyoukai shook his head. "You sound like a poor copy of my brother's speech," he said in even tones. "Cease this foolishness."

"A copy?" asked the hanyou, incredulity tingeing her voice. "He came to Amatsu for power, and for the chance to see me once again. I joined their power because everything else in this mortal world has forsaken me."

Sesshoumaru could not respond, for what she said, although twisted, was true. He had forsaken her two nights ago. He knew of his attraction and yet did not mark her as his mate, only used her to satisfy his more carnal desires. Washi had betrayed her as well. Unknowingly of course, but it was painfully clear that such distinctions no longer mattered to the hanyou. Love and happiness, emotions he knew her human heart craved, rejected her at all turns, taking the ones she did care for with death.

Kikyo and Inuyasha stepped out of the shadows, clearly tired of eavesdropping. "Hello, brother," the male hanyou greeted. "Do you like Kagome's new image? How appropriate, don't you think?"

The taiyoukai knew that his younger brother was attempting to take control of the situation, but took the bait anyway. "What do you mean, by 'appropriate'?"

Inuyasha held out his hand, which was immediately grasped by Kagome in a possessive grip. He led her to stand between him and the undead miko before speaking again. "She is our heart," he explained, gazing fondly at the female half-demon and stroking her hair. "I am the strength and Kikyo is the spirit, but Kagome is our heart. She completes us." He gave Sesshoumaru a devilish grin. "Such _passion_ and _desire_ in the heart, it was bound to reflect in her appearance, wouldn't you say?"

The dog demon snarled, his eyes bleeding red. "You will not touch her!"

Surprisingly, Inuyasha dropped his hands and bowed. "As you wish, my lord." As he straightened his back, he smiled again. "But you will not touch her either. She is not yours any longer. She was _never_ yours. This was her destiny, as it is _your_ destiny to die by her hand."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "If that is truly my fated end, I will accept it. I have never feared death, but I will not die before I hear what you have done to Kagome."

"They have not done anything to me," the female hanyou responded. "I joined willingly."

"If that is true, why did you not join them weeks ago? When you suspected that Inuyasha had been resurrected, when the shadows attacked you or when you discovered the identity of Amatsu?"

Kikyo laid a hand on Kagome's arm, silencing her. "Your games will have no effect on what will happen here," she warned. "You will die today, Sesshoumaru."

He arched an eyebrow. "Tell me what I wish to know first."

The miko narrowed her eyes, searching for clues to taiyoukai's hidden agenda. Finding none, she began to explain. "After her friends' deaths, it was a matter of time alone that would have brought her to our side. Her heart was dark with grief and anger. The perfect gift to our master." She lifted her chin and glared at the dog demon. "But then you came along, together with that brat, and her heart began to change once again. She was _happy_," she hissed out the word like poison. "And so we began to send her dreams."

"The nightmares," Sesshoumaru interrupted. "Those were from you? The ones that tried to turn her against me?" He felt the heat of rage surge in his chest once again and forced it down. A gloating villain always gave away their secrets, and he intended to listen to every word from the miko's cold lips.

"Of course!" Kikyo's eyes shone with a rare light, telling him that she was delighted in his annoyance, but the light quickly died. "But even they didn't affect her as much as we would have liked. But then _you_ took your part in hand beautifully. You did exactly what our master expected you to do. By rejecting her, her heart became as black as pitch once again, needing only the betrayal of her adopted son to push her totally into our power."

Washi began to cry quietly beside him, as the taiyoukai turned over these facts in his mind. How _blind_ he had been! He had known that Amatsu Mikaboshi was known for taking those with dark hearts into his power. He should have realized that that would have been necessary to take Kagome as well.

But the time for self-reprimand would have to come later, after he had taken the hanyou back and escaped with their lives. Kikyo's speech had given him no insight into Kagome's condition and how to break it, so he decided to take the question to another. "I demand to see Amatsu," he said.

Kagome laughed, seemingly unaffected by the conversation that had taken place. She did not seem to care that she was manipulated into her present state. Sesshoumaru wondered idly if she still believed her choice was her own. "Don't be ridiculous," the girl said. "Our lord and master has more important tasks than to deal with you, Sesshoumaru. And _no one_ commands his movements, least of all a mangy dog like yourself!"

"It is alright, my heart. I will speak with him."

The deep, calm voice made the taiyoukai freeze, as if the past had come and taken hold of his body. He tried to keep his breathing steady as he looked at the three who had supposedly come to kill him. They had fallen to their knees, with their heads bowed. As Sesshoumaru watched, disks of light appeared just beneath the hollow of their throats.

There was a flash of blue light and a man stood before them, cloaked in misty gray. He pulled back the hood and smiled at Sesshoumaru. To anyone else, he would have appeared just as any other human male. His ears were rounded at the tips, he had no fangs and his skin was pale against his long black hair. But his appearance stilled Sesshoumaru's heart for long moments, until he finally remembered why he had called forth this god masquerading as a human.

"Why, Sesshoumaru, how nice it is to see you once more." Amatsu moved back, between the kneeling figures of Kagome and Kikyo, and studied the tall demon lord with his black eyes. "You have grown so much since you were child. I see so much of your father in you. Of course, you look like your mother as well."

The taiyoukai felt his patience break and stepped forward snarling. "What have you done with her?" he growled, for here before him was the soldier that took his mother from him so many years ago. The human who had had the audacity to take the mate of the Western Lord for his own, who Sesshoumaru had wanted to murder since the age of ten.

Amatsu looked down innocently at Kagome's blood red head and lay a hand upon it. "You mean, Kagome? I thought my Kikyo explained that to you."

"My mother," answered the dog demon. "You _took her_. My father gave you that truce to save your people and you betrayed him."

The god lifted his hand and placed against his lips. "Ah, but that was so many years ago, Sesshoumaru. You were a pup of just ten years. Could you really hold a grudge for so many centuries?" He smiled as red bled into the gold of the taiyoukai's eyes. "I suppose you can. Well, rest assured that your mother, my wife, is quite alive and well."

"And yet you lie with _this_ creature at night?" hissed the dog demon, glaring at Kikyo. "You take her from her child and mate, and then you dishonor your promise to her?"

"Such emotion from the unemotional taiyoukai!" exclaimed the god. "And to think that I left you in that dungeon for so many months! I could have been amused by you so much sooner."

"How are you still alive?" seethed Sesshoumaru.

Amatsu wagged a finger at him. "No, no. Those are questions for another time. I came here with a purpose towards the _future_, Sesshoumaru, not to rehash the past." He glanced once more at Kagome. "I will tell you now that my hold over her is complete. There is nothing you can do to save this woman. She is the heart of my weapon and I will not let her go."

"If that was true," growled the dog demon, "then you would not be here to protect her."

"So clever and yet so wrong! It is a pity that we never got to know one another in my former life as your human step-father." He shrugged. "Now, I just want you to die."

Sesshoumaru straightened and met Amatsu's gaze. "I have one more question before I go to my death."

"I'll take it as a last request," laughed the god. "What is your question?"

"The prophecy. What is it? Why Kagome?"

Amatsu smiled. "Well that is two questions, but I shall humor you." He walked behind his three-part weapon and spread his arms. "It is an ancient prophecy, spoken in the language of the gods, but I will be happy to translate for you. 'In the days of the land's greatest danger, two priestesses will rise, one dead and one alive, sharing the same soul. They will love a half-demon who possesses great power and the three will be linked forever. Brought together in darkness they will become a weapon greater than any before or since and they shall control the world for their lord and king.'" He lowered his arms and smiled. "So you see, this was her fate. Leave her to it."

Sesshoumaru drew Tokijin without hesitation. "Then it is time for me to die."

"I'm afraid so," laughed the god. He stood back and the triumvirate rose as one. "I shall watch this demonstration of their power. Do not concern yourself with me. I shall not interfere."

Kagome tilted her head and smiled. "I have learned some new tricks since seeing you last, my Sesshoumaru." She pulled Tetsusaiga from its sheath with a fluid motion and let it transform within her hands. "Kaze no Kizu!"

The taiyoukai grabbed Washi by the scruff and dodged out of the way just in time. Landing on his feet and setting the child down, he glared at Kagome. "You cannot harm me with the Tetsusaiga as long as I wear the Tenseiga by my side," he warned.

She gave him a feral grin. "I know. I just wished to test one of my new abilities." She sheathed the Fang and crooked one finger. "Now, I will truly kill you." Pressing her hands together, a strong breeze swept through the clearing, tearing off the dogwood blossoms. In the snow of petals, Kagome opened her hands once again and the earth began to tear.

Snagging Washi once again, Sesshoumaru leapt away from the fissure opening up in the ground, threatening to swallow them whole. As the wind screamed past his ears, the rumbling stopped and Kagome looked up.

"It's no fun if you try to escape!" she called. The breeze became stronger and clouds suddenly covered the sky, thick with rain.

He turned his head to watch Kagome lift her hand and then let it fall like the executioner's axe. The clouds broke open, drenching him and the child with water as they landed on safer ground. Sesshoumaru spun around to face the girl. "I will not tolerate your magic tricks, Kagome! If you wish to defeat me, engage me in true battle!"

Lightening crashed to the ground only a few steps to his right, making dirt fly everywhere, but the taiyoukai didn't move. "You will not live more than a second!" called back Kagome. "Don't you see that I have command of the very elements? And that is only my power alone! Imagine the three of us unleashed upon the world!"

"Then I will die trying to prevent it," answered the taiyoukai, charging forward.

Kikyo and Inuyasha stepped back to flank Amatsu, smiles upon their faces as they watched Sesshoumaru run to his certain death. Kagome held her ground, not bothering to draw Tetsusaiga. As Tokijin's crackling blade came towards her, she held up her hand.

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as his sword came to a stop, immovable against Kagome's flesh. No blood seeped down the blade, as it had done with Inuyasha so many years before. She just stood there, smiling wickedly as Tokijin pressed against her skin without breaking it. "You can't defeat me," she whispered, drawing back her other hand and slashing at his arm.

A cry of pain escaped his lips as the taiyoukai fell back. She had tried to purify him. If he hadn't moved, he would no longer exist in this world. He jumped back and crouched, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his forearm. "I see you still possess your miko gifts."

"I do, yes." She cracked her knuckles. "Please, try again if you do not value your life."

He had no choice, and they all knew it. He could not walk away and if he hoped to discover a weakness, he had to attack once more. And so, Sesshoumaru lifted Tokijin, steeled his heart against the fear of failure and charged once more.

This time, he attacked without mercy, bringing forth all of the anger he felt towards the hanyou. His eyes glowed red as Tokijin crashed down upon Kagome's forearms, which she held up in defense. Deadlocked once again, Sesshoumaru leaned all of his strength onto his sword and took deep breaths of Kagome's scent, searching for any weaknesses she might possess.

"You will not win this, Sesshoumaru," she purred, as if she was telling him during a pleasant meal instead of with a deadly blade pressed against her body.

Something stirred within the taiyoukai as he took another breath and he smirked at the information that he alone was privy to. He could have laughed, if he was in any way used to the action. He had _found her weakness_. "No, my Kagome," he purred right back, making her smile drop from her face. "I have _already_ won."

She pushed back his sword and swiped again with her claws, catching him beneath his throat and tearing his kimono to shreds. He gasped at the holy power coursing through his veins, but knew that his declaration had scared her too much for it to be concentrated enough to kill him. She was uneasy now, unsure of what he had learned while they were so close together.

Amatsu stepped forward. "Kagome," he barked, "finish this! Keep your concentration!"

"Yes, my lord," she answered dutifully. She moved towards Sesshoumaru, stalking him as her prey. "Why do you say things that are not true, Sesshoumaru?" she asked, trying to regain her confidence.

"I do not lie to you, Kagome," he responded with an eerie calm.

"Then tell me what you could smell that no one here can," she challenged. "Tell me how you plan to defeat me."

He remained silent, only moving to sheath Tokijin once more. His chest was tightening, and he realized too late that Kagome's last hit had hurt him much more deeply than he had known. Blood still rushed down over his armor and his breathing was becoming labored, but he used his remaining strength to calm himself, to steady his hand. Tenseiga pulsed beside him, telling him silently that it was ready.

"Tell me!" she screamed, bringing down another crash of lightening to his right. Washi jumped and clutched at his empty sleeve, but again the taiyoukai did not say a word.

"Concentrate your power, Kagome!" warned Amatsu. "You are mine!"

The hanyou ran forward, lifting her purifying claws to finish off the taiyoukai. Bringing down her right hand, powered almost entirely on rage, she was entirely shaken when Sesshoumaru deftly caught her wrist. He pulled the hanyou towards him with a rough jerk and smirked again at her stricken expression. "You are his at the moment," he whispered, "but the child growing within you is _mine_."

Kagome let loose an ear-splitting shriek and brought back her free hand to strike at him. The taiyoukai released her and, calling forth his poison claws, gave her a fierce blow across her chest as her own claws connected with his shoulder.

Amatsu and the two remaining pieces of the triumvirate cried out as Sesshoumaru and Kagome collapsed upon the ground. Washi dove forward as Tenseiga pulsed once more.

A second later, the god was alone with Kikyo and Inuyasha, staring at the bare patch of grass where their heart had last been seen.

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Washi opened his eyes, immediately shielding them from the bright light of the noonday sun. "Ouch," he grumbled, sitting up and stretching his wings. He felt as if cobwebs were in his head instead of brains. What had happened? Where was he?

A soft moan cleared his mind, as he turned his head to see his mother lying on her side, bleeding from the four parallel gashes in her chest. Beside her, Sesshoumaru was on his back with his own bloody injuries. The battle came rushing back into his mind as he scrambled over to Kagome. "Mama?" he asked hesitantly. Her hair was black and red once more, but it wasn't until she opened her eyes to reveal chocolate brown irises that he breathed a sigh of relief. "Mama? Can you sit up?"

She blinked and looked up at him, completely dazed.

Well, at least she isn't trying to kill anyone, the boy mused silently. He reached down put his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe you should just lie on your back. I'm going to try to wake up Sesshoumaru-sama." Kagome allowed herself to be gently pushed onto her back, following his movements with her brown eyes.

He walked around her to the taiyoukai's side. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"

Golden eyes opened and focused immediately on the boy. "Where are we?" he said, his voice cracking slightly from lack of water.

Washi smiled. "Good, you can talk. I don't know where we are, but its daytime again, so we must have been asleep for a long time." He motioned to the blue sky, almost sighing with happiness that no supernatural clouds hung heavily over them with lightening and rain crashing down.

He nodded and looked past the child to Kagome's pale face. "Has she spoken yet?"

"No, she just looked at me when I talked to her."

Sesshoumaru struggled to sit up, exhausting himself with the simple action. "She might be in shock," he breathed. "My poison is corrosive."

He moved to place a hand on her forehead, but Kagome caught it in her own claws. "I'm fine," she whispered. "I was just remembering everything that happened while under Amatsu's power. It came back in a huge rush. I'm fine now."

Their eyes met for a brief second before they each glanced away, pulling their touch from the other, as if contact burned their skin. Sesshoumaru searched for something, anything to say. "What do you remember? It could help us defeat Amatsu."

She rubbed her temples as she rested upon the grass. "I… I can't make sense of it. It's just jumbled images." She lifted her hands in front of her face and stared at the dried blood upon them. "I killed demons, didn't I? I can't recall why, but I did it." Kagome took a deep breath and twisted her head to look at the taiyoukai's wounds. "And you! I hurt you too!"

"I will recover." He glanced at the torn skin on her chest, so deep that her breastbone was nearly peeking through. There were traces of green phosphorescence where his poison had gone particularly deep. "I harmed you as well, despite my oath."

Kagome closed her eyes. "It's alright, I can feel my skin knitting back together. I remember the fight. I deserved this. I was trying to kill you."

Keeping his gaze away from her, he asked softly, "Will you try again?" _Is your recovery a trick of Amatsu?_ The unspoken question was almost tangible.

"I… I don't know," she answered. "I feel that his presence is gone from my mind, but I don't think a god would give up so easily. Perhaps if I made sense of these images in my mind." She shook her head, trying to clear away the confusion, but to no avail. She could see a demon with dark hair, dungeons filled with creatures, a pale demoness with empty eyes, and so much blood that Kagome could barely ponder it.

Sesshoumaru nodded, satisfied with her answer. If she had replied with a definitive 'yes' or 'no', he would have been extremely suspicious. Her uncertainty erased his own. "There are ways to create an order in the chaos of your mind," he said. "If you wish, I will help you when we return to the castle."

She laced her fingers together over her stomach. "I suppose that would be okay," she answered. Her hands suddenly splayed out on her lower abdomen, as a soft gasp escaped her lips.

"You remember that part as well, then," Sesshoumaru observed.

Kagome bit her lip. "Now I do."

Washi touched his mother's wrist. "But now we can all be together again, like we were." He caught the pained look on her face. "I mean, I _thought_ you would be happy."

"Children are always a cause for joy," she answered, although her tone did not match her words. Then she smiled brilliantly, making both male demons catch their breath. "You're alive though," she whispered, as if she just realized it. She wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him close. "They told me you were dead."

The eagle child returned her embrace. "They did it so you would accept Amatsu. I heard them say it."

She sighed heavily. "I guess it worked then."

Washi didn't know how to respond, so he just hugged her tightly and stood up. "I'm going to find some water." He held up his hands before Kagome could say anything. "I'll be okay. Don't worry. If I see anyone strange, I'll come right back." He said it with a fierceness that conveyed his determination to not be a burden.

"Good boy," Kagome murmured with a smile, watching him wander off. As he disappeared into the forest, the hanyou breathed a sigh of relief. She hadn't wanted the boy to hear the inevitable conversation between her and the taiyoukai. It was too embarrassing. "So, what happens now?" She winced immediately. Could she be more vague?

He answered anyway. "We will return to the castle using my transportation cloud and you will go to see Jun in the infirmary immediately." He glanced at her injuries again, making sure not to meet her eyes. "My poison has some long term effects occasionally."

"That's not really what I meant." She sat up so that she didn't have his face at the corner of her vision, wincing again as the pain in her chest increased as she moved. "You said once that you didn't have any children, because illegitimate pups would be a dishonor to your family. That hasn't changed…"

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. "No, it has not."

She worded her next question more carefully than the first, trying not to announce to the entire world that she was on the verge of tears. "Will this child be your heir then?"

In an instant, he felt as if his body was torn in two, each fighting the other half. His demon blood riled against the girl, demanding that he repay her rejection with one of his own, condemning the hanyou to a life of dishonor and poverty. His more sensible side warned him that he had his own honor to uphold, and that meant taking her as his mate and claiming the child to be his heir. There may not be another chance like this, he knew. Female demons were much more frequently infertile than humans and conception was rare.

If nothing else, the dog lord was honorable. And yet, his anger against Kagome was still palpable. She betrayed him and his trust. Why should he accept her back so willingly when she had tossed his offer aside once before? Saving her from the grip of Amatsu did not mean that he wished for reconciliation. He remembered the fear that twisted his heart, the thought that she might be injured or worse at the hands of the god. But he was not ready to admit anything more than the fact that he had made a promise and was bound to uphold it.

His conflicting emotions led him to the coward's answer, one that he regretted as soon as it passed his lips. "We will talk of the situation at a later date. We have some time yet."

Kagome tried not to let the disappointment she felt in her heart show in her face. "Okay. May I ask how long I have? How long do dog demons carry their pups?"

"Six months," he answered rigidly.

"Humans take nine months," she replied softly, talking more to herself than the dog demon. "It's just a guess, but it'll probably be about seven months."

They sat in awkward silence for a few moments, refusing to look at one another. It felt as there was a great chasm between them, wide enough so that no demon could cross to the other side. So much had changed in just a few short days that they didn't know where to begin. Despite all they had been through, they were strangers once again. And yet, they had a bond between them greater than many of the greatest friends and lovers had, nestled in Kagome's womb.

Kagome had always assumed that her first child would be the source of the greatest joy. How many times had she imagined having her own baby with Inuyasha, with tiny ears and fangs that even the male hanyou could not help but love? How many times had she thought of her mother cooing at her first grandchild, when they visited through the well each week, with Sota and Grandpa smiling in the distance? If she admitted the truth, she resented Sesshoumaru horribly for taking those dreams away from her.

She rubbed her belly, thinking of what a three-fourths demon would look like. Sesshoumaru probably resented her as well, she realized, for forcing his hand with this tainted child. Every time the dog lord and Inuyasha had met, Sesshoumaru sneered down upon the hanyou's heritage, and she was certain he felt no more blessed by this child than if locusts suddenly descended upon his crops.

Maybe she should go to Kaede, explain the situation and wait out her time there. She needn't burden the taiyoukai with a child he had no love for. The old woman would understand and they would raise the child together, eventually teaching it to protect the village, as Inuyasha had once done. It would be a fair trade, the best she could make of the situation. Perhaps even Myoga could help.

She wouldn't suggest it now, though. She was well aware of how strongly Sesshoumaru felt about other people interfering with his plans. She remembered what happened the last time she threatened to do so. It would be better if she just remained silent on the matter for the time being. When the thought of fatherhood with a hanyou child struck him full force, then she would suggest parting ways again.

"How did you know I'm pregnant?" she asked suddenly, breaking the uneasy silence and trading it for uneasy conversation. "Not even Amatsu knew."

Sesshoumaru looked up from his inspection of his wounds, satisfied that they were already healing. "The male is always the first to know," he answered, "so that he may start to protect the female as soon as possible. It is a defense mechanism against predators. Expectant mothers can be easy prey."

"I see."

The conversation, already gasping for breath, died and they sat in silence until Washi returned, the smell of spring water hovering around him. His pleased expression dropped as he looked at the two adults sitting in an uncomfortable quiet. "Um, so are we going back now?"

The taiyoukai nodded and conjured a small transportation cloud, keeping enough energy so that they could make it to his city. He watched as Washi helped his mother onto the downy surface, making sure they were secure before lifting off the ground. Kagome lay down immediately and turned away from the taiyoukai, so that their backs were facing each other.

Washi sat between the hanyou and taiyoukai as the landscape shrank away beneath them. Kagome held his hand tightly and he squeezed it, trying to wordlessly reassure her that everything would turn out all right. He knew that it would have been much more convincing if only he believed it himself.

"So, Mama, what will you name the baby?" he asked gently. He was trying very hard to accept this new information gracefully, trying not to let jealousy of the new child seep into his heart. At least the news had answered all those questions he had, although some of it disturbed him quiet deeply. He noticed that Kagome wasn't answering, so he tried again. "What will you name the baby if it's a girl?"

"Kaiya," she answered without hesitation.

Washi frowned. He wanted to ask what she meant by it, although he didn't have to ask what it meant.

Forgiveness. 

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A/N: Whew! That really took a lot out of me. I actually did quite a bit of research for this chapter. Dogs amazingly are only pregnant for two months, so I tacked on extra time for the whole demon thing. Anyway, I'm just rambling now. On to the review responses!

Review responses removed due to ban


	19. In Confidence

A/N: Another chapter that I wrote quite fast, in comparison to others. I'm not completely pleased with it, but I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that the past chapters were so action-driven and this is much more low-key. Sesshoumaru doesn't appear in this chapter, although they discuss him quite a bit. Don't worry – he'll be in the entirety of the next chapter (if all goes to plan).

The Broken Miko

Chapter 19: In Confidence

Kagome groaned as she opened her eyes, her pupils immediately constricting to adjust to the bright light. Two figures were leaning over her, murmuring in low tones, but the rushing sound in her ears wouldn't allow her to listen in. She couldn't summon up the energy to speak, to tell them to take their conversation elsewhere, so she attempted to roll over onto her stomach.

One voice suddenly stopped and the figure reached out, pressing her back into the soft cushion she was lying on. "Do not move, Lady Kagome. The poison is still in you."

The hanyou groaned again, trying to protest. When the power of speech evaded her, she relaxed once again, wondering why she kept waking up in strange places lately. For a fleeting moment, she thought she might be in heaven, or more likely, hell, but the dull ache in her body told her that she was still very much on the mortal plane. It was highly improbable that Sesshoumaru would have let her die anyway, for she remembered the conversation she had had with him in the grove about their child. He still hadn't decided if the baby was going to be his heir, but until he did, he certainly wouldn't have let any injury come to her. It was a strangely comforting thought.

As she rested, the haze slowly began to lift and she began to recognize her newest quarters. She was in Jun's infirmary, not three beds away from where Ukon had threatened the old healer's life. She and Washi were the ones hovering over her, watching with interest as Kagome became aware of her surroundings.

"Mama? Can you hear me?"

Kagome nodded slowly. "You fixed the floor," she said with some surprise.

Jun smiled. "It was a simple matter when you have soldiers at your door night and day."

The hanyou nodded again. "What happened to me?"

Washi shrugged. "You just kind of passed out as soon as we began to fly west. I was worried, but Sesshoumaru-sama said that nothing was really wrong. His poison knocks people out sometimes." He smiled a bit wider. "But he did go faster after you went unconscious. We got here in just a day."

She looked over at the old healer. "I was out for a whole day?"

Jun nodded and checked the bandages wrapped around Kagome's chest. The hanyou noticed that her torn clothing rested on the table beside her bed. "Yes, my lady. It was your body's reaction to your injury. You slept while it tried to repair the damage. There is nothing to worry about."

"What about…" Kagome trailed off, only moving her eyes to where her hand lay upon her stomach.

"The child is fine," Jun assured her, pushing her long hair behind her pointed ears. It was silver like Sesshoumaru's, but Kagome could tell it was from age and not her natural color. "Lord Sesshoumaru made sure of that."

Kagome frowned. "What do you mean?"

The healer smiled warmly at the young girl. So young and so naïve, she thought offhandedly. "I have been practicing my art for centuries, my lady," she explained, "but I cannot trespass into the bond between the baby and the male who fathered it. Only Lord Sesshoumaru can sense the child at the moment and how it fares."

"When do _I_ become aware that I'm pregnant?" she asked, rather indignant that the mother was apparently the second to know. That was backwards, in her opinion.

Jun shrugged. "It is different with every female. It should be quite soon, though, I'd imagine."

Kagome turned her head and ruffled the eagle demon's hair. "Would you do me a favor and fetch a yukata from my wardrobe? I think my slayer outfit has had it."

"Sure, Mama!" He raced off.

The healer laced her fingers together and pursed her lips. "Are you thinking of leaving my care, my lady? I should warn you that the poison might not yet be drained from your body. I advise you to stay for another day or so."

Kagome pushed herself up into a sitting position, trying to ignore the wave of dizziness that accompanied it. The bandages were wrapped around her torso to give her some modesty, together with a pair of white pants that seemed to be the typical 'hospital issue'. "No, I'm fine. I'll rest in my own room."

"I must ask that you come to see me tomorrow then," Jun commented, gathering her supplies from the edge of the bed before Kagome knocked them down. "And every week for the duration of your pregnancy."

The hanyou folded her elbows across her knees and sighed. "If I stay here, then yes… I'll come to see you."

The healer nearly dropped the ointment and bandages she carried. "Stay?" she repeated. "Surely you would not consider leaving Lord Sesshoumaru before the child is born?"

"Why not?" Kagome tried to suppress the irritation in her voice. "He tells me I'm pregnant and then he promptly informs me that the child might or might not be chosen to be his heir. I'm not stupid, Jun-san. I know he doesn't want to take me as his mate and if he doesn't, the child will be illegitimate anyway. What kind of life would it have here?"

Jun walked across the gap between the beds lining the walls and began to arrange her tools in her cabinet, keeping her back to the hanyou. She had heard that Sesshoumaru had chosen another female for his mate, but quickly decided that it was a matter for the two of them to discuss. "I admit, it would not be an easy life, my lady, but to leave a youkai with its child is much more grievous. Lord Sesshoumaru will undoubtedly want to keep his child close by, no matter what the circumstances. Most youkai are fiercely protective of their offspring, even if the other parent is not their mate. To take the child away would be condemning my lord to centuries of worrying over the safety of that child."

Kagome sniffed and looked away. "I doubt it. I doubt that Sesshoumaru worries about anything except how to get more power."

"He worries about more things than you know," said Jun, turning back to gaze at the hanyou.

Something in her voice made Kagome look up again and raise an eyebrow. "For example?" she prompted.

"For example, the way my lord refused to move from the foot of your bed until your wounds were bandaged and until he could determine the safety of both you and your child," Jun responded in a rather clipped voice. Her gray eyes softened a bit as she took a breath. "Despite the fact that he needed to rest and was barely conscious when he landed with you and the eagle demon."

The hanyou lowered her eyes. She had forgotten how much blood was in his clothes and on his armor, blood that she had caused to flow. "Forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive," Jun said briskly, walking back to her bedside. "You are so _young_. It is expected that you would be overwhelmed by what has happened. Expect to be overwhelmed many times more before this is over. You will survive though."

"I'll try to remember that." She shivered a bit and pulled the covers around to cover her back. "Where is Sesshoumaru now?"

The healer shook out the blanket on the foot of the bed behind her and draped it over Kagome's shoulders. "He was exhausted. Such wounds and then he used all of his energy to fly the three of you back here! I'm surprised that he didn't send you all crashing to your deaths. Anyway, he used up so much of his demon energy to get you back that his wounds weren't healing properly. He allowed me to bandage them but he never stays here to recover." She frowned and furrowed her brow. "If he knows what's good for him, he should be in his room resting."

"I'm sure he will follow your advice, Jun-san," murmured Kagome.

The old demon sniffed. "I'm not. Never have I met a youkai so difficult to heal. He never stays in one place long enough!" She gave the hanyou a wry smile. "That baby of yours will be a handful, as the child of Lord Sesshoumaru."

Kagome shook her head. "As long as the kid doesn't have Sesshoumaru's temperament, we'll get along just fine."

Washi ran into the room, tearing down the length of beds and skidded to stop beside Kagome. "Here you go, Mama!" he panted, his face flushed. The hanyou guessed that he ran the entire way. He handed her a spring green yukata.

Inwardly, Kagome grimaced, knowing that it would clash with her hair and make her look like a youkai Christmas ornament. But she smiled at the boy. "Thanks, kiddo. Just wait in the outer room and catch your breath. I'll be along in a second, okay?"

With Jun's help, Kagome struggled into the yukata and managed to not tear her bandages. It was amazing how constricting they were, although the healer assured her that it was very temporary. Her demon healing had taken care of most of the hard work already.

Easing herself out of bed and thanking the old demoness, the hanyou padded down the room to the entrance in bare feet. Before she exited the room, she turned back to look at Jun, who was changing the linens on her bed. "Jun-san?"

"Yes, my lady?"

"Did he really wait until he was sure I was okay?" she asked, wincing at how much she sounded like a lovesick high-school girl.

"Yes. He would not let me touch him until you had been taken care of," Jun answered. If Kagome had been closer, she would have seen the knowing gleam in the healer's old gray eyes.

The hanyou smiled. "Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Goodbye, my lady."

Kagome turned the corner and took Washi's hand. "Ready to go?" she asked the boy. His face was closer to his natural color, although she could smell his sweat. He would need a bath tonight, she noted mentally.

He grinned. "Yeah! I haven't seen Rin yet."

They walked out into the barracks and headed towards the gate that connected it to Sesshoumaru's backyard. "Maybe you should rest and wash first. You're still not completely healed up."

Washi shook his head. "I'm fine. I just want to say hi to her and then I'll go to the bathhouse, okay?"

Kagome nodded to the guards, who let them through without question. "That's sounds alright. Just make sure a couple of the guards go with you. We don't want _you_ to get kidnapped next."

"They would have taken me before if I was worth anything to them," he answered, suddenly sullen. "You're the one they wanted and I couldn't do anything to stop them. I even _helped_ them."

The hanyou frowned and looked down at him. "Hey, come on, don't be like that. It wasn't your fault. You didn't know. And besides, what were you supposed to do against a full grown half-demon and a priestess? You would have gotten yourself killed and then I'd have been very sad. I don't want you to leave me, kiddo."

"I guess so…"

She swept him up into her arms and hugged him tightly, ignoring the stares of the guards in the tunnel. "No, no doubting me. I don't blame you and you shouldn't blame yourself either. Come on, you don't want Rin to see you crying, do you?"

The salty scent of tears faded and he brought his head up to look at his mother. "No, I don't."

"Well, then! That's settled," she said, putting him down again. She knew that it _wasn't_ over, that he would have nightmares and reflect on it time and time again, but she had to let him come to peace with it on his own. He had done the same for her, after all. "Let's go see everyone again."

They opened the door and had only begun to wend their way through the gardens when two voices called out in unison. "Kagome-neesan!"

Two wolves appeared from behind a thicket of trees and ran to embrace their pack sister. She dodged them neatly and spun around as they passed her by. "Listen, guys… I'm happy to see you too, but I'm injured!" she cried, trying to prevent another attack.

Hakkaku and Ginta stared at one another. "Oh yeah."

Kagome laughed. "Now, come here and hug me. Just do it gently." She embraced them each in turn and then gave them a suspicious glance. "What were you two doing back in the garden anyway?"

Ginta blushed, brushing his claws through his short gray hair. She was pleased to see that both of them no longer wore any of their bandages, although Ginta's voice was still a bit raspy. "Um, yeah… well… there's this girl."

"You guys have a crush?" Washi spoke up.

The wolves' eyes widened. "No! I mean… she's pretty, but she's not a wolf. Our clan has taken too many hard hits to not have a wolf mate, right Ginta?" asked Hakkaku.

"Right."

Kagome smiled. "But you still like her, anyway? That's sweet."

Hakkaku scratched behind his ear. "She's a servant though. Her name is Asa."

"The gardener!" the hanyou cried, causing both wolves to jump back. She laughed. "I know her. She's a bit odd, but nice. And she is beautiful, I must admit. Although I never thought I'd say that about someone with orange hair and yellow skin. A bit like sherbet."

Ginta grinned. "Yeah well… she's like, a flower demon or something, so it wouldn't really work out. But it can't hurt to look, right?"

Kagome exchanged a look with Washi. "Right… well, I should be getting inside. Jun-san would kill me if she knew I was standing out here in bare feet."

"We'll come with you," offered the white-haired wolf.

She nodded, feeling as if she hadn't seen them for ages. "So what trouble have you two been in while I was gone?" she asked, as they fell into step with her and Washi. They were in the main part of the garden now, away from the thick stands of bamboo and Japanese maple trees. Kagome was sorry to see that Rin's flowers were beginning to die and hibernate for the winter.

Hakkaku shrugged. "Not much. Talked to people, walked around, ate. That sort of stuff. You were only gone five days, you know, nee-san."

"Five days? Really?" She counted backwards. "Yeah… I guess so! Wow."

"We did talk to your friend several times, Kagome-neesan."

She looked sharply at Ginta as they turned onto a smaller cobble stone path. "Which friend?"

The wolf turned an uncharacteristically serious eye to her. "Nami-san."

Kagome sighed. "Oh, wonderful. So I'm guessing you know the whole story then, huh?"

Hakkaku made a soft sound of dismissal. "Neesan, we knew that whole love triangle thing before you even left. Guards don't shut their mouths when they're off duty, you know, and now everyone knows."

"Oh Kami."

"Don't worry though," Ginta responded, picking up where his brother left off. It always amazed Kagome when they carried on conversations in that way. "Machi had a _fit_ when she heard about it and attacked Nami-san. Of course, she picked an inopportune time, since Nami-san happened to be surrounded by the rest of the elemental demons in the castle. Machi is in the dungeon now, awaiting Sesshoumaru-sama's judgement and _she_ has been the newest source of gossip. You were all but forgotten."

"Except by us," added Hakkaku.

"Machi's imprisoned, eh?" snickered Kagome. "Well, my day is starting to look up."

"Neesan…"

"What?" She looked at Ginta again and held up her hand. "Don't tell me. You're going to talk about how sorry Nami is for what she did and how she's a wreck now and all of that, right? Well, save it." She sighed and lowered her hand. "It's not like I didn't do anything while I was gone. I thought about it a million times and I've decided to speak to her. I was so cruel to her though, that she might not want to talk to me."

"She does!" assured Hakkaku.

"She feels terrible," his brother chimed in. "She had no idea that it would hurt you."

"You guys must really have hit it off, huh?" Kagome gave them each a sly glance. "I thought Asa was the girl that you two were going to be bickering over."

Ginta rolled his eyes. "Neesan, don't be ridiculous. Nami-san is a friend. She needed one. Something's been really bugging her the last day or so too. She wouldn't tell us though." He brightened a bit. "Maybe she'd tell you!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Kagome held up her hands. "I tell you that I'm willing to speak with her again and you assume that we're automatically friends again? When I said I was cruel to her, I really meant it. And it was totally unfair of me too."

"Was it?" asked the wolf. "I mean, she did sleep with Sesshoumaru-sama."

"Not in front of the kid, Ginta!" Kagome moved to cover his ears.

Washi pushed away her hands. "It's okay, Mama. I knew already."

She crossed her arms and glared at the boy. "How?"

He grinned sheepishly. "Rin and I heard the guards talking about it the morning we left to go east. That's why we were late."

Kagome sighed, making a mental note to order the guards in the east wing to keep their traps shut around the kids. She turned to Ginta. "It _was_ unfair of me. The first time we met she told me about her mother's ambition to have her daughter be the Lady of the Western Lands. And I gave no indication about my feelings towards Sesshoumaru." She looked pointedly at the wolves as they started to grin. "Feelings that don't go beyond friendship, I assure you," she lied. She clearly remembered realizing exactly how deep her feelings went for the taiyoukai before getting captured in the forest. In about seven months, she'd have to remember to apologize for hedging the truth a bit.

The wolf brothers still looked suspicious. "Yeah well… Wolves always make sure no one has laid a previous claim when they take a mate." Ginta sighed and looked at her rather reproachfully. "Why can't other youkai be the same?"

"Hey! It's not like I have a choice in the matter."

Ginta looked as if he believed differently, but decided to steer the conversation back on track once again. He pulled open the door to the castle and bowed them through before saying, "Well, I think that you and Nami-san need a nice long conversation to work things out."

"Or a short one full of apologies on both sides," offered Hakkaku.

She laughed as the warmth of the castle sank into her bones. "Either one would be fine. Do you know where she is?" she asked, amending her earlier plan to go see Sesshoumaru immediately. He was probably asleep anyway. She'd give him a little time at least.

"Probably in the Council Chamber," suggested the mohawked wolf. "That's where all of the ambassadors go to work on their papers. It's right next to the castle library. The one open to everyone."

Ginta nodded and pointed down the hallway where a few demons went through a large set of double doors. "You get into the public section of the castle there. We've been spending a lot of time there, trying to figure out if there's any legal action we can take against that monkey demon that ousted us."

"Any luck?" Kagome inquired.

Hakkaku sniffed and crossed his arms. "No. Even if we did, we couldn't enforce it. I mean, that demon already did something illegal by taking our claim of lordship."

The hanyou gazed at the depressed wolf brothers. "But hey, at least you can make some political connections while you're here, right?" she said, trying to put a positive spin on matters. "And maybe even mates. You said that the females had left once your clan had to move into that cave, so I can't imagine a better chance than now."

"Yeah… that's true." Hakkaku suddenly grinned, his face lighting up like a child's upon seeing their new toy. "There are those wolf sisters. The daughters of the wolf ambassador."

"They're pretty hot," agreed Ginta, showing off his own fangs. "Kinda young, but definitely old enough to take mates."

Kagome rolled her eyes at the near salivating males in front of her. "What's with you two? It can't be spring fever!"

"You brought it up!" they reminded her in unison.

"Besides," Ginta added, "wolves chose their mates in the fall. Then when springtime comes, there will be cubs around. Get it?"

"Yeah, yeah. I got it." She waved at them. "Go and see your wolf girls. They sound perfect for you."

Hakkaku's face fell. "You just want to get rid of us!" he accused.

Kagome laughed and shook her head. "No, I want to get rid of your hormones! Do me a favor though, would you? Take Washi up to the third floor entrance to the East wing. Make sure he gets there without too many detours and eavesdropping." She dropped to her knees and hugged the boy. "Have fun with Rin. Try to be good, okay? And remember to take that bath before dinner."

"Yes, Mama." He scampered off without a second thought, with Ginta close behind. The wolf waved goodbye as he disappeared around the corner. The other wolf, she noticed, was making no move to follow them.

"Hakkaku?" She looked at the wolf with a questioning gaze, wondering why he wasn't joining in the chase. He was usually the brother with more jokes, more moments of being a total airhead, but the expression on his face spoke of deep confusion.

"Neesan, may I ask you something?"

"Go ahead," she prompted, with a bit of trepidation. Could wolves that considered her a pack sister smell what supposedly only Sesshoumaru could sense?

"The little one…" he began. Kagome's heart dropped in that instant. "She seems to like us, nee-san, but she does not come close to us. She acts as if she is afraid of wolves. I don't understand. Have we done something wrong?"

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "You're talking about Rin!" she exclaimed with a bit too much enthusiasm. Hakkaku nodded mutely, the skin around his eyes crinkling with confusion and she sobered. "Ah, well yes, I do know why she doesn't like you to come too close. Do you remember the first time Koga and I met? In that village your clan killed?"

She said it with such a dead calm, no emotions as she spoke of the dozens of people they had killed that day. Hakkaku shuddered. "Um, yeah. I remember. We didn't really do that with regularity you know."

"I know you didn't," she answered with a wave of her hand, "but Rin was an orphan in that village. Your wolves killed her."

Hakkaku swallowed. "Killed her? Then how is she alive?"

He was relieved when Kagome smiled warmly. "Sesshoumaru revived her with Tenseiga and she's been tagging along with him ever since. So Rin is rather scared of you, yes, but she also knows that without your clan, she never would have been with Sesshoumaru for all this time." She leaned forward and wrapped her hand around his leather-encased forearm. "Don't worry. You and Ginta are great guys and she'll eventually separate you from that traumatic event. I'm sure of it."

"Thanks, nee-san." He grinned at her, happy to have at least one of his worries off his mind.

"No problem. You should catch up with Ginta though. I need to talk with Nami-san." She turned and walked down the cherry wood floor. In her time here, she had almost exclusively remained in the private section of the castle, staying behind the thick double doors Ginta had pointed out a few minutes before. Beyond those doors, anyone with a valid reason could wander in and take the information they required. It was where Sesshoumaru's audiences were held, where the Councils met, and where the large library resided. She felt a bit out of place as she approached the doors, but she squashed her fears, reminding herself that she was still considered an honored guest of the Western Lord. No one in his right mind would question her here.

She nodded to the guards in thanks as they opened the heavy mahogany doors and she stepped through, gasping. She had seen the public section of the castle only twice, once in the middle of the night and once when all of the city's demons were in the throne room already. Kagome tried to stay out of the way as she took in the amazing sight of youkai life.

She was standing in a large room with three halls jutting out at right angles. Swarms of demons filtered through the corridors, busying themselves with their everyday tasks. Doors opened and closed constantly, giving her a slight headache from the banging. Groups of youkai moved in packs, murmuring in their own languages about the business of the day. She laughed under her breath as she watched a few canine demons talking to a couple of rabbit youkai, trying and failing to keep the leer out of their eyes. Predatory instincts apparently never retired.

"Was there something I could help you with, my lady?" asked a voice at her elbow, making her jump.

"Oh!" She turned to see the weasel guard that had been rather rude to Jaken a week ago when the wolf brothers had arrived. "Sorry, you startled me. Is it always this busy? This loud?"

The lanky demon shook his head. "No, my lady. We are preparing for war, you see. All of the ambassadors must contact their clans to bring in recruits for the army. And they have treaties to negotiate, since many clans still do not get along, despite all living in the Western Lands. Since the other seven households of the city do not have the proper documents for wartime, they must come here. So this is quite busy for us."

Kagome listened with interest. "Well, that's a relief. I don't know what would happen if this many youkai were always here!"

He smiled. "It is a bit crazy. But was there something I could do for you, my lady?" he asked, returned to his original question. "If you need a scribe, I'm afraid they're all busy at the moment."

"I would imagine," she responded. "No, I'm just looking for Nami-san of the water youkai clan."

The weasel demon frowned for a bit and then lit up. "Ah yes! I recall her going into the Council Chambers. It's the room at the end of this central hallway." He pointed out another set of double doors opposite from where they were standing. "Was there anything else you required, my lady?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No, that's it. Thank you."

He bowed and she began to thread her way through the mass of demons walking back and forth across the room. Many of them spoke their own languages but several spoke Japanese and she gathered that the eight doors surrounding the room held the offices of the scribes, each with a different task. Many of the youkai were thoroughly annoyed at having to shuffle across the foyer time and again to get the proper signatures and papers. She listened to snippets of conversation as she made her way to the Council Chambers.

"…and _he_ said that I needed a signature from the Secretary of War, even though I had…"

"… well, you don't expect them to really care about our interests, do you? They're absolute pigs and…"

"…telling him that his mother was a baboon's waste probably wasn't the way to do it, you fool. Now we might have to see that little toad, Jaken and he…"

"…did you hear that Inuyasha is back? He's furious at the miko…"

Kagome stopped dead and looked around for the youkai who spoke those words, ready to throttle him for the truth. How could anyone know yet? Her heart beat faster as she searched the faces of the passing youkai, but they all seemed to be speaking in their own tongues and it just sounded like gibberish. She sighed and escaped the throng, trying to convince herself that she was not cracking up again.

She smiled weakly at the guards standing at either side of the chamber doors as they opened them for her. She stepped in, expecting to find a similar scene of chaos and was pleasantly surprised that it was quiet once the doors closed behind her, only the hush of papers moving signaling that there was life here. Several youkai were bent over their work, their noses almost brushing against the paper they wrote upon.

Tables with plush chairs were formed to create a large square with a break near Kagome's position to allow demons to stand in the center to take the floor. Many demons were scattered along this hollow conference table with papers scattered about them. Along the edge of the room, several desks with cushioned benches stood for scribes to take notes during meetings. Since each of these had their own lamps, more youkai were seated there, using their brushes with frightening speed.

The scent of water lilies, Nami's understated and gentle scent, came into her senses and Kagome scanned the room. There, in the corner, was the demoness, her blue head of hair making her an easy target against the muted tones of the room. Beside her, the amethyst-eyed Ruri was speaking to her in low tones, her black and white hair plaited down her back.

Kagome made her way quickly across the room, her movement making the candlelight flicker as she passed by. Only when she was within ten feet of the females did they look up, Ruri with a pleased smile and Nami with an expression of guilt and fear. The hanyou gave them her own soft smile and sat down across the table from them, nodding to each. "How are you two doing?" she whispered, happy that no demon were too close by.

Nami looked as if she were about to burst with joy. "I'm fine, Kagome-san. How are you?"

"I've been better, but I've been worse too." She turned to Ruri, covering the skunk demon's hand with her own. "Are you doing better?"

The other female shrugged. "Slightly. It is a difficult thing. I can't imagine how you suffered your losses as you did. I only lost Sen and yet I feel as if I'm standing on nothing with this canyon beneath me, without any visible bottom in sight."

Kagome nodded, all too familiar with that particular feeling. "I know. That will pass eventually. It will get better."

Ruri smiled again. "I'm sure it will." She looked back and forth between the hanyou and Nami, her face falling into a studious gaze. "I'm going to leave you two alone now. You need to discuss some matters. I shall see you later." She gracefully lifted her body from the awkward bench and left before either of the other two could say another word.

The two remaining females looked at each other, smiling awkwardly as if it was the first time they had ever met. Nami surprised the hanyou by speaking first, pushing aside her usually timid personality. "Kagome-san, I would like to apologize again for all that has happened."

"It's okay. We both did and said some silly things. I was especially harsh and I'm sorry for that. I don't want to lose you as a friend, you know."

The water demoness nodded. "I too, would be sad to lose you. I had so feared that you would not forgive me. Things have been so hectic lately and yet all I could think of was your reaction."

Kagome smiled wistfully. "I don't want you to leave, Nami-san. Is there any way to change your plans? To remain as the water demon clan's ambassador?"

Nami's eyes widened and she pulled back, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh no…" she murmured.

"Are you okay?" The hanyou's brow crinkled in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"You haven't heard…" The demoness buried her head in her hands. "You haven't heard… Here I thought that you were forgiving me for all that I have done, and my worst sin is still uncovered. I'm so sorry, Kagome-san. I had no idea." She moved to escape, to get away from the horrible situation unfolding before her, but Kagome captured her wrist and pulled her back.

"What are you talking about?" she asked, her brow furrowing even deeper. Nami's scent changed from one of happiness and acceptance to one of utter fear.

The water youkai was beginning to cry. "Please. Please let me go, Kagome-san." She tugged feebly on the hanyou's grip.

Kagome was very much aware that they were attracting the attention of the entire room. She felt the eyes of every youkai boring into her back. "Nami-san," she said softly, "I will not harm you, nor will I yell, no matter what. Let's go into another room, okay? We can talk in private."

Nami nodded weakly and allowed herself to be led from the room into a small chamber that looked as if it were meant for post-council chats. Four low tables were lined up with enormous cushions on each side. It was poorly lit, as the lamps had almost all burnt out, which explained why no youkai were working there.

"This will do." Kagome sat down and guided the water demon onto the neighboring cushion. "Now, tell me what this is all about. What could be worse than what we've already gone through?"

The youkai sighed and wiped at her slightly red eyes. "Many things can be worse, Kagome-san. Please, before I tell you, understand that I had no choice in this."

"Alright…" The hanyou was thoroughly confused, but also intensely curious. "Go on."

"When Jaken-san and the others returned a couple days ago, he sought me out with a message from Sesshoumaru-sama. He told Jaken-san to revoke my request to leave the City of the West, because I was to become Lord Sesshoumaru's mate. He had chosen me." It tore her soul at the seams to know that she was hurting the hanyou once again, for she still believed that the taiyoukai and Kagome loved one another. The pained expression on the hanyou's face confirmed her fears once again. "I'm so sorry, Kagome-san. I have no choice. Sesshoumaru-sama has forbidden any objections."

Kagome laughed softly. "What an idiot I've been…" she murmured. She looked up at the water demoness, who was shaking with fright. "I'm not angry at you, Nami-san," she assured her.

The blue-skinned woman sighed again, letting her shoulders fall in defeat. "I would prefer it if you were angry. Perhaps then I could get rid of my guilt."

"What is there to be guilty of? He has chosen a mate and it's you. Congratulations."

Nami shook her head. "I do not love him and I never will."

"You don't know that," said the hanyou, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall. "You can fall in love so easily sometimes that you don't even notice it until it's too late."

"It _is_ too late for me," responded the demoness, bowing her head.

Kagome's ears twitched. "What do you mean? Nami-san, are you in love?"

"I am."

Hope sprang up in the hanyou's chest. "Who? Please tell me, Nami!" she exclaimed, dropping the honorific in her excitement.

The female blushed, turning her blue skin into a lilac purple. "Keitaro."

Kagome grinned. "Keitaro? But he's only been here a couple days!"

Nami's blush deepened, spreading down her neck and underneath the collar of her kimono. "Youkai know when they meet their mates immediately. I have always had a particular… fascination with celestial demons and he was so beautiful and so kind. He sat beside me and spoke to me for hours after I learned of Sesshoumaru-sama's decision, allowing me to say anything that came into my mind. I fell in love with him as soon as I saw him."

The hanyou nodded. "He's wonderful. The perfect mate for you, Nami-san." She grew very serious. "Does he love you in return?"

She sighed and spread her hands out on the table before her. "Yes, but he fears that Sesshoumaru-sama will kill him for that. He is powerful, but a taiyoukai could easily defeat him in battle."

Kagome shook her head, clasping her hands together in joy. "But Nami-san, this is perfect! Sesshoumaru would never force you to mate with him if he knew you loved another! You will have Keitaro as your mate, just wait!"

Nami allowed some hope to color her eyes, but shook her head anyway. "No, Kagome-san. He said he would not tolerate any objections. His word is law."

The hanyou lifted her chin. "Just let me talk to him," she said, confidence lacing her voice, although doubts still plagued her heart. "A lot has changed since he gave Jaken that message," she added, realizing that it was one probably made in anger after she left him.

"I would be forever grateful, Kagome-san!" Nami cried, placing all of her trust in her reconciled friend.

Guilt entered Kagome's heart and she shook her head slowly. "No, Nami-san, I should be grateful to you. I have to confess that I'm not doing this out of the kindness of my heart, but rather as a selfish act for the sake of that heart."

The water demoness suddenly leaned over and gathered Kagome in a crushing embrace. "You do love him!" she whispered with passion. "I'm so happy for you, my friend!"

The hanyou pulled away and looked down at her hands laced together. "You don't understand. It's completely unrequited. You said that a youkai knows immediately when they meet their future mate, but he hated me when we met. He tried to kill me in father's tomb when I got Tetsusaiga for Inuyasha. He hated me until recently and now… now, I know he doesn't love me. He said so."

Nami surprised her by laughing softly. "You take things so literally, Kagome-san! It is the youkai's _soul_ that knows when they have met their match. It can take ages for them to act upon it, and sometimes they never do. After all, you've led me to believe that your last mate, Inuyasha, did not declare his love for you until quite some time had passed."

"Four years, yes," she answered. "But I knew he felt _something_ for me from the day we met, even if he did try to hurt me at first. I looked like his first love and eventually, he grew to love me as Kagome. Sesshoumaru was different. He hated me."

"As if that matters! At least Sesshoumaru-sama showed some emotion towards you, which is more than he could say about the vast majority of his opponents. He feels nothing towards them, making it that much easier for him to kill without thought. But you…" She shrugged. "He probably hated you because you were human. He didn't want to love you, so he went to the next best thing."

"You really think so?" Kagome was dubious.

"I really do."

For a moment, the hanyou's smile was brilliant, but then it quickly fell back into a frown. "You don't know the whole story though, Nami-san. And once you do, I don't think you will still believe he loves me."

"Tell me and I will make that decision," she said, once again being uncharacteristically bold.

Kagome quickly told her of how they met Inuyasha in the dark forest, how he had captured and kissed her. And she spoke of Sesshoumaru's jealousy, so obvious that it threatened to paralyze him until he decided to force himself to act and kissed her with passion. Nami listened to the story, gasping and giving her motherly clucks of the tongue where appropriate. She didn't seem in the least bit surprised when the hanyou spoke of waking up in nothing but Sesshoumaru's upper kimono.

"I slept with him," Kagome murmured. "And I was so angry when I realized what I had done that I just turned around and said such horrible things to him. I told him that I only saved him because he reminded me of Inuyasha…"

"Oh, Kagome-chan. That was most unwise." Nami shook her head in sympathy. "And he sent you away?"

"No. He said some hurtful things in return. Told me that he took back his offer to be my mate and then I ran away. I realized that evening that I loved him, but I was so far away by then and I still had that vision in my head, the one Inuyasha gave to me when he kissed me." Kagome wiped away the tears that had spilled down her cheeks. "I just couldn't go back."

"What vision?" the water demoness asked gently.

Kagome choked back a sob. "One in which I stood over the dead bodies of the children and Sesshoumaru, laughing as Inuyasha told me that I had done my work well. It was a vision of the future, or so I thought." She hadn't mentioned a word about her abduction, not knowing how much the taiyoukai wished to be told to anyone. She suspected that he wanted absolute secrecy.

"But he still found you."

"He… he thought I was hurt," she said, dodging Nami's implications with some success. "And I was, so he saved me and brought me back."

"How were you hurt, Kagome-chan?"

The hanyou waved her hand. "It's not important. I was careless basically." She sighed heavily and cradled her chin in her palm. "But I haven't even told you the best part yet."

Nami arched a delicate blue eyebrow. "There's a 'best part'?"

"Oh yes…" Kagome leaned back and rubbed her abdomen. "I'm apparently pregnant with his child." She frowned and looked thoughtful. "Or is it called a pup?"

The water demoness's eyes widened so that the white ringed her iris. "A… a pup. A inuyoukai's child is called a pup," she answered almost automatically. After a moment of stunned silence, Nami jerked herself out of the daze. "But Kagome-chan… how is this possible? A male knows by scent when a female is fertile. He should have known better."

Kagome shrugged. "I have no idea. I guess I'll have to talk to him about that as well. Truthfully, he is the only one who can sense it right now, so I can't even confirm it yet. Jun-san said that it was different for every female."

Nami carefully laid her clawed hand over Kagome's. "You will know soon. My mother knew almost immediately when I was conceived but took weeks to accept that she was pregnant with my younger brother." She smiled with a hint of mischief. "He was unplanned."

"So I have to _accept_ the fact that I'm pregnant before I really know it?" the hanyou asked.

The other female shrugged and sat back again. "That was how it was with my mother. And all of my aunts, come to think of it. But as Jun-san said, it is different with every female." She said the last bit in sing-song voice and smiled. "And he _does_ love you."

"Hmph. Whatever!" She glared up at the ceiling. "If he really loved me, he would make me his mate so that his child won't suffer the humiliation of being illegitimate!"

"Do you really think that this is no shock to him as well?" asked Nami, with a keen eye on Kagome's annoyed expression. "I'm certain this was not on his agenda, my friend, and now he must rearrange his life for this event. It involves many decisions and much thought, even if he does love you."

The hanyou sighed and dropped her hands into her lap. "I suppose so. He's probably still angry too. I did reject him after all."

Nami gave a startled laugh. "I still can't believe you did that, Kagome-chan. I don't think anyone has had the courage to reject Sesshoumaru-sama's wishes since he was a child!" She leaned across the corner of the table and patted the hanyou on the knee. "I would just be patient. He will eventually realize that he loves you, if he doesn't already. He could have killed you and the child you carry, after all. To risk his honor must mean something."

Kagome smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. His honor means everything to him."

"He will make you his mate for the sake of his honor," said Nami, "but he loves you as well. I know he does."

The hanyou stood up and looked at the fading lamplight. "I should go then. Apparently, Sesshoumaru and I have some things to talk about." Butterflies sprang into life in her stomach, making her feel slightly queasy.

Nami grinned as she got up to stand beside her friend. "You'll get through this, Kagome-chan," she said, and the hanyou noticed for the first time that she was using the familiar honorific. "I will help, should you need anything."

They embraced once again with Kagome thanking Nami over and over again. When they finally pulled away, she was surprised to see that tears lined both of their eyes. She laughed and brushed them away. "You should get back to work, Nami-chan. I need to sort this whole thing out." She grabbed the water demon's blue hand. "Please don't tell anyone about any of this. They'll know when they have to."

"Of course." Nami bowed her head, back to the timid girl that Kagome had first met.

Kagome smiled. "You really should be strong like that more often, Nami-chan."

The demoness looked up and laughed softly. "Keitaro said the same. Apparently, I am only bold and stubborn when a crisis occurs." She shook her head. "I don't mind. It's nice to know that I can still surprise those around me."

They walked out of the small room and back into the council chamber, where many of the youkai looked up to stare at the pair once again. Kagome ignored this and said a quiet good-bye to Nami before leaving her to her work and going back into the chaos of the foyer. The demons still rushed around her, snippets of their conversations making their way to their ears, but her nerves wouldn't allow her to listen. Her stomach was tied into knots at the thought of talking with the taiyoukai.

The weasel demon and his partner opened the doors for her again, letting a cool rush of air fan her warm face. She nearly collapsed into the private section of the castle, expelling a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding.

Wandering down the wide corridors towards the East wing, Kagome began to play out her upcoming conversation in her mind. What would she start with? A simple hello? A indignant demand of why he hadn't told her that he had chosen Nami? An assurance that she was fine physically? Perhaps she should walk right in and demand to know if he loved her. She blushed deeply at this last thought. She had no doubt in her mind that she loved the taiyoukai, but she was completely unsure as to whether she was ready to hear his feelings on the subject.

After all, Sesshoumaru was probably still angry, and she had been held captive by Inuyasha for two days. Two days that were still very fuzzy in her memory. It wasn't time yet, she concluded, for any declarations of love. She would discuss the situation of Nami and Keitaro with the taiyoukai and take it from there. Allowing instinct to guide an action had always been more of Inuyasha's forte, but Kagome realized that it was the best way. She had no idea how he would react to any of the news she was about to bring.

By the time she had finally decided on being discreet and warm towards the taiyoukai, Kagome found herself before the doors leading to the East wing. The guards watched her curiously as she approached slowly and laughed when she saw their questioning eyes. "It's strange to be back," she explained, but receiving no answer.

She pushed open the doors and walked across the bridge quickly, shuddering as she stepped in puddles of water. After interminable seconds, she escaped into the warmth of the East wing and was immediately ambushed by two very short attackers.

"Kagome-san!" cried Rin, as she wrapped her arms around the hanyou's waist.

She laughed and put her hands on the little girl's shoulders. "Hello, Rin. I'm happy to see you. How have you been?"

Rin pulled away and bowed, remembering her manners. "Very good, Kagome-san, except that I missed you and Sesshoumaru-sama and Washi. But now that you are all back, I cannot think of a better day I have had."

"Have you been studying your books?"

The little girl's face adopted a slightly guilty shade. "Not as much as I should have, Kagome-san. I was hoping that you would come back to teach me."

Kagome nodded and brushed back the stray hairs on Rin's face. "Well, I should be here for a little while, at least. Perhaps longer, so if Sesshoumaru-sama says it's alright, we'll start your lessons again very soon. Washi too." Rin's presence had momentarily suppressed the raging butterflies in her stomach, but as soon as the taiyoukai's name passed her lips, they began to fly again. She sighed and straightened her back. "I have to go speak to Lord Sesshoumaru now, okay?"

Half of her hoped that the children would wheedle her into staying, delaying her talk with the terrifying inuyoukai, and the other half screamed in protest as Rin frowned. "Alright. Will we see you soon, Kagome-san?"

If Sesshoumaru doesn't kill me, she thought rather distracted. "Yes, of course. I'll try to make it to dinner, okay?" she offered, hoping that her nausea would be gone by then. She patted each child on the head a few times, told them to go play and the garden and walked down the short hallway to Sesshoumaru's door.

Lifting her hand to knock, she hesitated and looked over at the guard standing at her left. To her pleasant surprise, it was the young demon that had defended her against the other guard the morning after Sesshoumaru had slept with Nami. He smiled at her timidly and nodded, his rose colored hair falling into his sapphire eyes.

Reminding herself again that she should mention his loyalty to Sesshoumaru, she smiled at him. "Ever feel so nervous you want to bang your head against the wall?" she asked.

His eyes widened slightly, but he kept smiling. "Yes, my lady."

Kagome took a deep breath and pushed it all out. "Good. I just wanted to know that I wasn't alone in this." She lifted her hand and rapped her knuckles firmly on the door.

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A/N: Next chapter – lots of Sesshoumaru and Kagome talking.

Review responses removed due to ban


	20. The Second Verse

A/N: Eek! I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last updated. But hey now, I actually have a good excuse! Really, I do… and no, it's not that school has started up again (although that's part of it). The real reason I wasn't able to sit down and do this is because I'M ENGAGED! Haha… so you see, I've been too busy being giggly and running around telling everyone my news… instead of sitting down and writing a chapter. Anyway, it's 20 pages, so I hope that pacifies you a bit. It moves fast – try to keep up! Read and review!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 20: The Second Verse

"Enter."

Kagome's breath hitched. She hadn't really expected an answer after all, and Sesshoumaru's deep voice from within his chambers just riled up the butterflies in her stomach once again. Taking a huge gulp of air, she turned the door handle and slipped into the taiyoukai's apartments.

Shutting the door behind her with a firm click, Kagome looked about her. She was standing in a short but wide hallway, with red monochrome murals of dog demons and battles upon each wall. Three doors graced the end of the hallway, one on each wall, but only the one directly in front of her was not closed. It was another pair of double doors, thrown open to reveal a sumptuous bedroom.

She walked forward, feeling an awful urge to toss herself onto the enormous bed. The style wasn't especially unique, with its four unadorned posters reaching up the ceiling, but it was incredibly old. The red lacquer that was the base coat was peeking through the gilded surface in numerous places, giving it ancient streaks of scarlet and gold colors. The black comforter appeared to be down, and Kagome let out a little sigh of desire. Being unconscious for a day didn't really count as a restful sleep.

"Sesshoumaru?" she called softly.

Stepping fully into the room, she noted with approval the ebony wardrobe nearby and the fireplace on far right. Two ebony chairs, plush with red cushions stood beside the roaring fire on a rich rug. The room was simply decorated, and yet held an ancient aura that far surpassed her own quarters.

Sesshoumaru was kneeling on the hearth, stabbing at a dangling log with the iron fire poker. The firelight danced across the walls, embellished with more crimson murals. The large one to the right of the bed depicted demons prepared for battle, surrounding a goddess crowned with a golden circlet, the only color aside from red. The expensive ink glistened, as if still wet.

The taiyoukai noticed her staring. "It is said that Amaterasu separated the mindless creatures from the noble demons. She led the youkai ancestors into battle against a renegade god called Susa-No-Wo. In return for their service, Amaterasu let the youkai live on the mortal plane, provided that they would come to her call if needed."

The hanyou nodded. She had heard this story before, of the rivalry between the goddess and her brother. "So has she ever called upon you?"

"No. I believe it is one of the many fairy tales mixed in with genuine religious texts."

"I see." She wandered deeper into the room.

"Why are you here, Kagome?" he asked, his face lit by the fire. He was tired and he had not had any sleep yet to restore his strength. The previous day, his heart would have felt the anger he still harbored against the hanyou, but now he could not summon those feelings.

"I came to see how you are, and to talk to you a bit." She frowned when she realized that Sesshoumaru was rather pale and clammy, despite only wearing the inner layer of his upper kimono. "But perhaps you should be resting."

He stood and faced her and her frown deepened when she saw the bandages peeking out from beneath his clothes. "I am recovering," he said. "You have your own injuries to care for."

Kagome shrugged and gracelessly plopped down onto one of the cushioned chairs. "Eh."

"Very articulate," he responded as he sat down across from her. He was moving slowly and gingerly, which the hanyou was quick to notice. "Was there something specific you wished to speak to me about, Kagome?"

"Several things actually," she admitted with a faint blush.

"Well then, speak."

She lowered her eyes. "I was kind of planning to build up to it, Sesshoumaru. None of these topics are particularly opening act stuff."

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I have no energy for superfluous talk."

Kagome flushed again. "Of course not. I'm sorry. It's just not very easy to talk like this. I'm not very practiced at it anymore," she commented.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "I too, have not had much practice. We will forgive each other's mistakes then." He settled back against the pillow and prepared himself for a long discussion. Kagome, despite his requests to keep it short, was not the type to get straight to the point.

She smiled with an uncertain, but pleased gleam to her eye. "Okay. That sounds good."

The taiyoukai arched his eyebrow as he waited for her to continue. "Well?"

"Right, sorry. I was just trying to figure out what to start off with."

He tapped the arm of his chair with his pointed claws. "What are our choices?"

Kagome shrugged and began to thread her fingers through her hair, twisting thick locks of it at random intervals. "Us, the baby, our argument, Inuyasha…" she trailed off and smirked. "Or the situation with Nami. Take your pick."

Sesshoumaru closed his eyes briefly. How had she found out about his rash proposal to Nami so quickly? It was not common knowledge, as even Jaken would have some discretion concerning such delicate matters. The only explanation was that she had received the news from Nami herself. At least she hadn't heard some warped gossip. On the other hand, Kagome hardly seemed annoyed by the information. If anything, she was pleased. How confusing.

"We don't have to talk about Nami first," mentioned Kagome, her smirk fading as she watched the distressed expression flash across the inuyoukai's face. "I actually have a question, before I forget it." She took a deep breath. "Why didn't you know I'd become pregnant that night? I thought youkai were supposed to know when a female was fertile."

"You were _not_ fertile," he responded. "In truth, I have no idea how you have come to be pregnant. Inuyoukai females become pregnant in deep winter. If they do not wish it, they must seclude themselves for two weeks to prevent males' attention."

Kagome grinned. "You mean, demons are only fertile once a year?"

Sesshoumaru nodded and frowned. "Yes. At least our kind is. Why?"

She hid her face, trying not to laugh at the clearly confused taiyoukai. "Well, that explains it. You realize that human females can get pregnant roughly _twelve_ times a year?" She looked up again, not wanting to miss his expression.

The inuyoukai's eyes widened, showing the white all around his golden eyes, but they quickly narrowed again. The word 'impossible' came to the tip of his tongue, but he checked himself. Her explanation was plausible enough, given the strange moods human females went through, and the ridiculous displays males put themselves through to get their attention. "That would explain your pregnancy, yes," he conceded, rather miffed that his worldly knowledge had failed him.

The hanyou nodded. "It's probably less noticeable too. But I guess it's rather arbitrary now, isn't it? I just wanted to know."

Sesshoumaru looked over at the fire, and watched the flames lick the stone walls. "Then we will move on to the next subject," he said, not missing a beat.

Kagome arched an eyebrow at his abrupt comment. "You're really looking forward to ending this, aren't you?"

He recognized her tone, the one that warned of a fast coming argument. Automatically, he shook his head. "Not necessarily. I only wish to get to more important matters. The means of your pregnancy, in your words, is arbitrary."

"Fine," she responded, rather annoyed that the taiyoukai had so quickly learned to keep himself out of trouble. He would be impossible to handle now. It had taken Inuyasha years to pick up that skill.

They both stared into the fire's flames now, as they wondered how to bridge the awkward change between the many subjects Kagome had put before them. Surprisingly, the taciturn taiyoukai broke the silence first. "Perhaps we should discuss the most important issue now and resolve it as quickly as possible."

"Right… Nami."

"Inuyasha."

The pair now stared at each other, a mixture of annoyance and surprise upon their faces. "Wait, what?" asked Kagome. "How can you say Inuyasha is the most important issue right now?"

His eyes narrowed. "How can you consider Nami the most pressing issue?" he countered. "She does not pose any immediate threat to my lands, whereas Inuyasha does. I must know what happened when you were under Amatsu's power. What does Inuyasha know now?"

Kagome wrapped her hands around the arms of her chair, forcing herself to remain seated. "I told you already, Sesshoumaru. I can't make sense of it. You said you'd help with that you know, so you can't expect anything from me until then." She released the chair from her grip, afraid that she was digging her claws into the ebony wood. "Besides, without me, the weapon is incomplete. They didn't expect me to leave. I'm sure they've been set back a bit. On the other hand, Nami is very much in the here and now."

Sesshoumaru let loose a low growl. "Why should Nami's fate concern you?"

The hanyou's eyes widened. "What, have you become an idiot in the last twenty-four hours?"

He stood up, trying to tower over her, but failing as his body began to shake with the effort. Still, he forced out another snarl. "I would watch your words, woman!"

This was not what she had envisioned for this conversation. Kagome pushed herself out of her chair and looked up at the taiyoukai, carefully placing her hand upon his chest. "Settle down. I'm sorry I said that. I forget that you consider things differently than me." She wrapped her other hand around his bicep and gently guided him back into his chair. Despite his vicious glare, he allowed her ministrations and sat down quietly. "Okay then. Are you alright now?"

He glared at her for a few more moments and then nodded mutely. He had no energy to argue.

Kagome returned to her seat, leaning forward with her hands clasped. "I don't deny that what happened with Inuyasha and Amatsu is important, Sesshoumaru, but I can't help you right now."

Sesshoumaru hesitated for a moment and then nodded again. "Perhaps, but I still fail to see how Nami's situation is any concern of yours. It is something I will deal with myself."

"Oh? And what do you plan to do about it?" she asked.

He lifted his chin defiantly, displaying a confidence that he did not truly feel. "I have made an offer that has been accepted. I am honor-bound to uphold that. Nami will be the Lady of the Western Lands."

Although she knew more than he did, and although she had been prepared for his typical 'honor' speech, his words still cut Kagome to the quick. Her eyes filled with tears, that she rapidly tried to blink away. "I understand that, but you should know that some events have transpired which might affect your decision."

He met her watery gaze. "Kagome, I will take care of our child, regardless of the nature of our relationship. You and the pup will remain in the West."

"I'm not talking about the baby, Sesshoumaru," she responded with a sigh.

"Then what are you referring to?"

Kagome smiled softly. "Nami is in love. And, I'm sorry, but it isn't with you."

He blinked a few times. "She accepted me." His confusion washed away to be replaced by indignation. "Her office as Lady of the Western Lands does not require that she loves the Lord of the Western Lands."

"But don't you want a mate that loves you?" she asked. She held up her hand to stop his interruptions. "Think like a normal person… youkai… whatever. Just for once."

He stared at her. "A mate that loves me?" he repeated. "Is that supposed to be you, Kagome?"

She froze as she looked into cold amber eyes and cursed her loose tongue. Why didn't she ever think before she spoke? "I… I was just saying that Nami cannot love you. That's all."

"Who does she love?"

Kagome sighed quietly in relief and smiled at him. "Keitaro. Love at first sight supposedly." She frowned suddenly and gave him a critical gaze. "You aren't going to punish him, are you?"

Sesshoumaru stood up slowly and leaned on the mantle. "I am cruel, Kagome, but not even I would punish someone for falling in love. I will release Nami from our agreement, if she confirms this report." He turned his unreadable eyes to her. "Are you satisfied?"

She grinned and casually draped her arms across the chair. A sense of peace was coming over her, now that she knew Nami was no longer an impediment. "It's a good start. I'm happy that my friends are going to be happy now. Do youkai have ceremonies for mating?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Only a very private one. The mating mark is all the evidence other youkai need."

Kagome blushed delicately. "I see."

As the taiyoukai gazed into the fire, she knew that he was finished with the discussion over Nami. He would not address it again, unless to tell her that he had done his duty and released the water youkai from her obligation. And yet, Kagome didn't want to speak of what this meant for them. Sesshoumaru was now free of his oath and, although she still loved her former mate, Kagome knew instinctively that she would never again be with Inuyasha. Add the baby to the mix and she realized that they were both thinking the same thing. They were going to be mates.

So why couldn't she say it? Or ask about what he wanted? It felt as if she were standing on a precipice and looking down onto jagged rocks and angry waves.

And so Kagome diverted his attention, hoping to put them both off of this path that led into the ocean. "I want to apologize," she whispered.

He arched his eyebrows, sufficiently confused to lay aside the impending topic of mating. "For what?"

"For what I said to you," she responded. "About Inuyasha."

Sesshoumaru frowned deeply. "And how you saved me only for my likeness to my brother?" he asked as his shoulders tensed.

Kagome blushed again. "Yeah. About that… I lied. I didn't save you because of Inuyasha or any other reason really. I just did it because I needed help and you were the only half-decent person that I know in the Feudal Era. That's still alive, that is."

His frown rapidly transformed into a malicious smirk. She was tantalizing when she blushed. "You consider this Sesshoumaru 'half-decent'?"

How quickly he switches emotions, she thought, considering he prides himself on having no emotion at all. "I do," she answered without hesitation. "You aren't exactly a pure soul, but you _are_ decent. You helped me when you didn't have to. You held to your promises, both to me and others. It was a good choice to seek you out."

He wanted to claim this as false, that he had not upheld his oaths and he had not been honorable. Instead, he had insulted her and allowed her to walk into Inuyasha's trap. He had completely gone back upon his promise to the dead to protect this female and yet she was still praising his value to her. "You are too quick to speak," he finally said. "I have harmed you irreparably."

Kagome shrugged and leaned back in her chair once more. "I know why you said those things. I understand and I forgive you, so don't force yourself to apologize. Yes, it hurt, but I think it would have hurt more if you hadn't come to rescue me."

"Your soul was taken by Amatsu. You were pleased to be with him," Sesshoumaru pointed out.

She shook her head. "He twisted my soul. I remember the pain of it. It was like hot daggers." Her eyes began to glaze over as she recalled her transformation. "And then… it was gone. That's when everything gets fuzzy."

Sesshoumaru was stabbed by guilt. "I wasn't aware that you had awakened between the time of your kidnapping and when you became a part of the weapon."

The hanyou shrugged again. "It's okay. It was quick. I think the bastard wanted me to be awake though. They all wanted to hear me scream and beg for mercy. They kept taunting me, although I don't remember exactly what they said." Her eyes refocused and bore into his golden gaze. "I remember that I didn't oblige them. Not even when they told me Washi was dead."

He nodded. "I see."

Kagome smiled up at him. "You're pleased with me, aren't you?"

The taiyoukai nodded again, knowing that there was no use denying it. "It is admirable that you did not give into their perverse pleasures." He looked down upon her face, momentarily marveling at how freely she laid out her emotions and how a simple smile lit her up. "I am pleased that you stood against them for as long as possible, but I would have preferred if the mother of my pup had not been in that situation at all."

She stood up and joined him on the hearth, the heat of the fire seeping through her yukata to her skin. "I told you not to worry about it. It's in the past."

He looked over at her, studying her graceful features. It struck him that she was the essence of a glowing mother-to-be. The joy usually associated with expectant females seemed to have finally caught up to her. "When did you become so calm, Kagome? When did I become the one mired in the past?"

The hanyou shrugged and grinned. "I could make a few guesses."

"No. We will leave the question unanswered." He took a few shallow breaths. "I still wish to apologize for what I said to you in the forest."

"I told you that you didn't have to."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Yes, but I must still rectify the situation. You were…"

Kagome held up and hand and blushed profusely, the flames bringing the blood to her cheeks quicker than usual. "Please stop. I don't need a critique on my bedroom behavior. Or misbehavior for that matter."

Again, Sesshoumaru's blood stirred. Her rose-hued skin only served to remind him of the night she conceived their child, a memory he was now free to return to without guilt. Even if they forever dodged the subject of becoming mates, Sesshoumaru would not relinquish that memory. Looking at Kagome, he knew that it was not anger that had forced him to run to her rescue, but passion for her.

Did he love her? He had to admit to himself that he probably did. There was no other explanation. No female had captured his attention for this long, although the baby might have had something to do with that. But he still remembered the terror he had felt when he found out she had been kidnapped and the guilt he had felt when she turned her back upon him on the way back to the West.

Only around her did he have emotions beyond annoyance. Her half-demon blood didn't even deter him anymore and he had to concede that even when she was human, Kagome had intrigued him. She had had such power, such spirit. Even when she had fought him, the Lord of the Western Lands, her heart didn't fail.

There should be no disagreement among his nobles that she would be suitable at his side. She was powerful, as a miko and, with training, she could be stronger than Inuyasha. She held Tetsusaiga in her care and was wonderful with the children. Her education was unsurpassable. Soon he would have to admit that she knew things that he didn't and join in the children's lessons. And he could not deny that she was beautiful.

So from a purely logical standpoint, he must love her. And she was pregnant with his heir. There was only one piece missing. She was not yet his mate.

He stepped towards her. She didn't step back. "That night was…" he paused and searched for the right words. "Extremely enjoyable."

Kagome laughed lightly. "Thanks. Not exactly effervescent with warmth, but from you, it's more than enough." She looked up at his pale, beautiful face and dropped her smile. She grabbed his hand and pressed it between hers. "Really though, thank you."

His eyes deepened to a dark gold as he felt the heat of her body transfer onto his skin. Her sincerity and her words seemed to wash away his pain and exhaustion. "Kagome."

The hanyou let go of his hand and backed up as slowly as she dared. All of a sudden, Sesshoumaru looked like he about to pounce upon her. "What?" she asked finally. "What did I say?"

"You did nothing wrong," he answered, stepping forward again. His voice was calm and even, but he still had an intense gleam in his eyes.

She felt as if she was being pushed over the precipice now, and she found herself wishing for the safety of her previous position, when they had been delicately avoiding the issue. She could hardly believe that he was trying to seal the deal right then, when both of them were in bandages. Taking a deep breath, Kagome held up her hands to stave off the taiyoukai. It was hard to ignore the scent of desire emanating from him. She very much wanted to reciprocate, but could not do it, although she wasn't certain why. "Maybe we should try to recover some of my memories."

Sesshoumaru hesitated and then relaxed his shoulders, but showed none of his disappointment. "Very well. When is a convenient time for you?" he asked, forcing his lust down back into the depths of his mind.

"Um… now?" Kagome responded. She knew it was unwise to stay close to a male that was holding back his baser instincts, but she also couldn't leave. She cursed herself for this indecision between her body and her mind. This would be something to analyze later.

The taiyoukai, half expecting that she would have all but run for the door, nodded and moved the chairs back from the fireside. "Sit down on the rug and try to relax."

She laughed nervously as she lowered her body to the ground. "Relax? I'm already relaxed."

Sesshoumaru gave her a deadpan stare. "I am sure you are. Relax further."

Kagome closed her eyes, shaking her head at her stupidity as she tried to get comfortable. She crossed her legs and let her wrists rest upon her knees as she breathed deeply. She could hear Sesshoumaru settle down a few feet away from her and the slow, steady beating of his heart.

"Can you hear my heart?"

She smiled softly. "Yeah, I was just noticing it." She opened her eyes. "Did you make it beat louder?"

Sesshoumaru nodded once and continued his instructions. "Close your eyes again. Can you hear your own? And how they are beating in tandem?"

Her eyelids slid shut and she nodded, surprised to find that her own heartbeat was quietly keeping pace with the taiyoukai's. "I hear it," she whispered.

"If you become alarmed, return to this sound. Keep this in your mind." His voice was beginning to make her drowsy, its monotone seeming to echo through her chest. "What do you see when you think of your time with Amatsu?"

Kagome's brow furrowed and she frowned as she bit her lip. "I don't… I don't know. It's just flashes. They're going so fast. I can't make sense of it…"

Sesshoumaru nodded again, although she could not see him. "Keep the sound of our hearts' rhythm in your mind and try to slow the images down to match that rhythm."

The hanyou's expression was strained and she shook her head. "It hurts," she complained.

"That will pass. Just concentrate on the beat of our hearts."

Slowly, the pictures in Kagome's mind began to keep pace with her heart. She began to see vivid images of Inuyasha, Kikyo, Amatsu and several demons she didn't know. Some flashes were of blood upon her hands or of dead bodies surrounding her feet. Her breathing quickened and she became aware of her heart speeding up past Sesshoumaru's own rhythm.

"Keep our heartbeats together, Kagome."

She nodded and tried to calm her breathing. "I'm sorry."

"It is fine. Keep concentrating. Try to slow the images down further. One for every two beats of our hearts."

The pain returned as she put forth all of her effort to slow the images down further. This time, each picture had movement in the two seconds she visualized them. The scent of blood and the sounds of cries for mercy reached her senses as echoes from the past. The images began to order themselves chronologically, with only bare amounts of effort. Inuyasha laughing at her conversion, her delight in her new powers, seeing demons grovel at her feet.

Without further prodding from Sesshoumaru, Kagome tried to slow down the mini-movies even more. It was easier the third time she attempted it and she successfully reduced the speed of the pictures in her mind.

A strobe light effect bled into the images. Inuyasha was far away on the horizon and then suddenly right in front of her. Kikyo appeared at his side, beckoning to her like a sister. Kagome tried to shake off these pictures. They didn't seem like memories. The land was too bland, too empty of detail or definition. She had never been there before.

"Sesshoumaru," she called softly, hoping that her voice would carry to wherever he was. His heartbeat assured her that he was still there, still beside her.

Inuyasha and Kikyo suddenly scowled and dropped their outstretched arms. As they faded away, the male hanyou sneered, telling Kagome that she wouldn't enjoy her reunion with the taiyoukai for long. They finally dematerialized with a wisp of smoke.

Amatsu appeared, speaking to her in a hollow voice about her obligation to him and his cause. She was his heart, she was the power behind the ultimate weapon. No other creature would ever attain the status she had just attained. As he spoke, his smoky visage became clearer in her mind, and his voice filled out until the heartbeat in her ears was drowned out.

You are mine, Kagome. My heart will never be taken from me. Sesshoumaru is not your protector. I am. Surrender yourself to me. 

He faded and Kagome became aware of the taiyoukai calling her name. His cold hand was wrapped around her wrist, shaking it gently.

Her eyes snapped open and she snarled, throwing off Sesshoumaru's touch and tackling him to the ground. Rage flowed through her as everything around her took on a crimson wash. Her eyes were turning red, but she was only concerned about killing the bastard beneath her. He had tried to kill her. She remembered the murderous look in his eyes before he slashed her chest open with his claws.

But the taiyoukai still held the advantage of strength and skill. He easily tossed her away from him and into the legs of the chair, knocking it over with a crash. Kagome cried out, but rolled over and pushed herself to her feet.

Sesshoumaru stood up and faced the girl. Her eyes were blood colored, although her hair was still normal. He hoped that this meant she wasn't totally lost. He cursed himself for not seeing this coming. Memories seemed to have more power over Kagome than most demons, if it was triggered by a memory at all. Gods were extraordinarily masterful at manipulation of mortals, a fact that Amatsu had put into action several times.

This seemed like one of her nightmare-induced manias, but the taiyoukai was certain that his usual snapped comment would not rouse her. "What do you want, Amatsu?" he asked her.

Kagome slowly shook her head from side to side, like rabid animal. When she lifted her eyes again, they were golden. Kagome's mouth began to move but it was Inuyasha's voice. "Damn, this girl's spirit is strong. Thanks for opening her mind for me to get in, Sesshoumaru. Really generous of you."

"Release her."

The hanyou cocked her head. "Funny, I was just about to say the same thing. Did you really think that spat in the forest was the end of the battle? It hasn't even begun. She isn't yours."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "She is pregnant with my pup. As much as she is anyone's, she is mine. Don't let your foolhardy master convince you differently."

"So… we've gotten a bit possessive, haven't we?" The Inuyasha voice laughed, making Kagome throw back her head in a sickening way. "This is just a little visit, brother. We both know I can't hurt her or you, for that matter. Her spirit won't let me do it. But soon, she'll run from you again and then I can kill you in the most painful way possible."

The taiyoukai narrowed his eyes. "Is there a point to all of this blathering?"

The hanyou smiled broadly. "Of course, but I really can't stay to explain it. I'll let Kagome do that, don't you think that's best?" His voice took on an extremely pleased tone. "Well then… looks like we're done here. I'll see you soon, brother."

Kagome's eyes slid shut and she slumped to the floor before another word could be spoken. The fire flickered and Sesshoumaru moved forward, cradling the hanyou's head. "Kagome, wake up," he commanded. She didn't stir. "Kagome! I do not appreciate my orders being ignored!"

"Ugh…" Her eyelids fluttered. They were brown irises again. "Sesshoumaru?"

The taiyoukai let out the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. "Are you injured?" He gently let her head rest against the carpet and put his ear to her stomach. "The pup is fine."

Kagome nodded mutely and closed her eyes. "I remember it. I'm so sorry."

He helped her to her feet. "There is nothing to apologize for. I failed to consider this possibility."

She looked down at her hand, encircled with his pale striped one. He wasn't releasing her. "I have to go. I can't stay here anymore. I'm putting all of you in danger."

Sesshoumaru gave a little sigh. "We've been through this _several_ times before. You cannot leave my protection. The last time you did, Amatsu captured you."

"And Amatsu still has me under his power! This isn't the same as last time, Sesshoumaru. I'm want to leave so that none of you die. What if I go after you or the children? I couldn't live like that, wondering every moment if Inuyasha is going to attack my mind again. He can speak through me. There's no guarantee that he can't act through me. He already did!"

"All the more reason to keep you here," countered the taiyoukai. "If you leave, you will have no chance to resist Amatsu's power."

She looked up at him with soulful eyes. "At least I won't hurt any of the people I care about. I had a vision when Inuyasha kissed me. Of you and the children dead at my feet. I was laughing with Inuyasha about it. It was terrifying."

"Stop trying to be selfless, Kagome," he answered dryly. "The vision is false. You're simply scared." He spoke honestly, without hesitation. He had no fear of dying from her power.

Kagome finally extricated her hand from Sesshoumaru's. "So what if I am! You're not the one whose head they keep messing with! You're not the one they want to use to destroy the world! Don't you know why Inuyasha did this? Kikyo was in my mind too! She was taking a tour of my mind. She was searching for the reason I broke away from Amatsu." She took a deep breath. "And I think she discovered it too, so I'm sure that next time it won't be so easy."

Sesshoumaru thought about the deep gashes in his chest and on his arm and decided that they had very different definitions of 'easy'. "I already know how I brought you back from Amatsu's hold, Kagome. It is the same reason that Amatsu will never control you completely, no matter what Kikyo believes she has discovered."

The hanyou stared at him. "Okay, I'll bite. What's this miraculous reason?"

"The pup of course."

Kagome shook her head. "No, the shock of your news brought me out of it. The baby won't stop it from happening again."

"Says the female who is not even physically aware of her pregnancy," said the rather exasperated taiyoukai. "The child is part of you, and yet separate. It binds us with its shared blood and until it is apart from you, the pup will not let you be given over completely to Amatsu and his evil."

The hanyou fidgeted a bit, curling the fabric of her yukata around her finger. "I don't know… I could still really hurt you guys. Lightening bolts, remember?"

He smirked, pleased that he had won this argument without any excessive yelling or kissing. "I remember, but I doubt you still have those powers now."

Kagome shrugged. "You never know. Amatsu could act through me as well. I'm pretty sure he can do the lightening thing. In addition to a lot more painful stuff."

"Once you work through your memories, you will be able to predict Amatsu's movements and what he is capable of," Sesshoumaru pointed out. "Your time under his control could prove to be our greatest asset."

"Somehow I think he knows that, Sesshoumaru. Do you really want me to open my mind again to help these memories flow out? Amatsu won't allow it and my mind is unprotected. What if my brain ends up splattered on the wall?"

The taiyoukai set his jaw. "I will not allow anyone to harm the mother of my heir."

Kagome's mouth dropped open as she put a hand on her chest. "Your… what?" she asked. "If this baby is your heir that means I would have to become…" She took in a deep breath and let it out as slowly as possible. "Okay… We're crossing into strange territory again."

The rather flustered dog demon remained silent, for once at loss for words. He was therefore extremely pleased when a guard knocked on the door and entered the room with a respectful bow. "My lord, there is a strange woman asking for admittance to the East wing. She claims to know both of you, although she refused to give her name."

"Put her into my study." The guard left and the two remaining demons stared at each other. "We will discuss this later," Sesshoumaru said after a few moments of silence.

Kagome nodded. "I understand."

"You did know that this conversation would have to happen sooner or later," he reminded her.

"Yeah, I know. It's just that the baby has been around for barely a week."

He stepped forward and put his hand on her abdomen. "And in another week, everyone in this castle will know you're pregnant. The signals are getting stronger."

"Okay," she said, rather dejected. She watched him slip into an outer kimono layer and followed him out of the room.

By the time they reached his study on the fourth floor, Kagome knew who it was waiting inside from them. She could never forget that scent, even if Naraku's influence had been fading for quite some time. The part that worried her was that the wind sorceress's scent was intermingling with the metallic aroma of blood.

She moved past the taiyoukai as soon as he opened the door, trying to get the first glimpse of her friend. "Kagura?"

The wind witch turned from where she had been standing beside the window. A large bruise decorated the side of her face and several lacerations ran up and down her arms and neck. She didn't answer Kagome's call, but turned towards Sesshoumaru instead. "Do you know that she's been under Amatsu's power? Is she really safe to be around?"

"We were just talking about that very subject," commented the hanyou. "Sesshoumaru seems to think I'm alright, although I disagree. Inuyasha paid another visit today, through my mind."

Kagura kept her eyes locked upon Kagome, as she moved around the taiyoukai's desk. "I see."

A pit began to form in the hanyou's stomach. "Kagura, how did you get hurt? Why are you even here? I didn't think that we were going to see you for awhile. You were trying to find that prophecy."

"You don't remember?" The sorceress's voice was steely, like it had been when Kagome had been still traveling with Inuyasha.

"Remember what?" asked Kagome.

"Your time with Inuyasha and Kikyo."

The hanyou shook her head. "It's not really clear what happened. My memories are all messed up. I'm trying to work on it." She swallowed and looked up at the wind witch. "Why? I did something didn't I? Something horrible."

Kagura frowned and turned away, rubbing gently at the bruise on her cheek. "Did you think that today is the first time Amatsu or Inuyasha has been in your head, Kagome? When you were captured, they wormed their way into your brain and picked it apart. And guess who they found."

Kagome covered her face with her hands. "Oh Kami… You. They found out that you were helping us, infiltrating their world. They used my memories against you."

"They did more than that," said the witch calmly. "They used you."

The hanyou sank down onto the carpet. "Kami," she repeated, "I was the one that hurt you?"

Shrugging, Kagura turned back to face the half-demon. "Well, no… not really. First you slaughtered the demons working directly under me in case they had bought into any of my anti-Amatsu propaganda. Then you let loose these horrible lightening bolts. You conjured an entire storm, so even though I escaped your wrath, a bolt still hit my feather. I got these injuries when I fell to the ground."

Kagome stared down at her hands. "That's why there was blood on my hands then. I killed all those demons for no good reason."

Kagura's expression softened and she went over to her friend, kneeling beside her. "Please, don't blame yourself, Kagome. I was just a bit frightened to see you, that's all. You weren't in control that night. I knew it immediately, but I had to make sure." She grinned her cat-like grin and patted her on the leg. "I mean, who else would beat themselves up over a bunch of murderous youkai?"

The hanyou gave out a little choked laugh despite herself. "So you forgive me?"

"How could I not? Mentioning your name around here has gotten me some great treatment, by some very cute guards."

This time Kagome really laughed. "You never stop, do you?"

"Of course not," answered the witch with a wink.

The hanyou looked up at Sesshoumaru, who had been standing quietly apart from them. "You'll let her stay here, won't you?"

"She should see Jun in the infirmary first." He gave Kagura another sweep with his eyes. "Those injuries should be looked at."

Kagome nodded in agreement and helped the sorceress to her feet. "I'll send a guard with you. I still need to talk to Sesshoumaru for a bit. Do you mind?"

"No." Kagura shook her head. "Before I go though, I must tell you something Sesshoumaru."

The taiyoukai arched an eyebrow. "Go ahead, although if it pertains to the safety of my lands, perhaps Kagome should wait outside." He looked over at the girl when she made an impatient clucking noise with her tongue. "If you insist upon being a safe person to be around, you cannot learn anything more of these secrets," he explained.

"No, it's okay," said the witch. "Amatsu knows that I know of this. I suspect that Kagome will figure it out once her memories return anyway. She probably knows more than all of us combined." She plucked a piece of paper from between the folds of her kimono. "I intercepted this message between a few of my superiors. Ones that don't communicate by telepathy, obviously."

Sesshoumaru gently took the small scroll of parchment from the wind witch and read the words in silence. His passive face never flinched, but his golden eyes darkened as they moved over the message. "This is… interesting."

Kagura shrugged. "I know it's not much. I have really no idea who they're talking about, but I thought you would be interested. It was a message between my direct superior and another high ranking officer. I don't know who the recipient is, but my superior was in charge of the destruction of human resistance."

The taiyoukai nodded and handed the scroll over to Kagome for her perusal.

Take him to the main fortress. He will meet the August Star there, for what end I cannot guess. I have heard that he is a force to be reckoned with, on the level of the male hanyou that our lord keeps at his side. He is dangerous and cruel. It is said that he kills without regard to whether it is a friend or foe before him. Be wary, despite his illustrious connections, and treat him with respect above and beyond owed to those in his station. Remember whose blood he shares. 

"What does this mean?" asked the hanyou. "It's rather vague, isn't it?"

Kagura leaned over and pointed to the last line. "I think this is the most important piece of information. This murderous demon must be a relative of someone very important."

Kagome and Sesshoumaru looked at each other with a dark look. "Do you think this guy they're talking about could be a relative of Amatsu?"

The wind witch laughed. "He's a god. Only another god could share his blood, and I haven't heard anything remotely like that. There is only one enemy here."

"Maybe," answered Kagome with uncertainty. "Listen, Kagura, you should really go to the infirmary. Go downstairs and pick any one of the guards to accompany you, okay?"

Kagura's eyes gleamed with anticipation of picking her own guard. She barely allowed them a decent goodbye before she disappeared out the door and down the stairs to find her newest acquisition.

Normally, Kagome would have laughed at her friend's lustful habits, but instead she turned back to the taiyoukai with a frightened expression. "Do you think we're mistaken? Do you think that perhaps there's nothing to worry about?"

"Possibly, but knowing Amatsu, I highly doubt it." Sesshoumaru shook his white locks and retrieved the paper from Kagome's fingertips. "No, I believe that we now have two adversaries. Kagura was correct. A god can only share blood with a god. Unfortunately, there is a different dimension to Amatsu. He is within the human shell of my stepfather."

Kagome nodded. "I remember that part, when you demanded to see your mother. I'm so sorry about that."

"It's fine. I was warned that he held the form of a human. I should have expected that it would be the human who kidnapped my mother so many centuries ago." He frowned. "But it does present a new possibility. Amatsu is within the human shell, but if the human had a child before the god inhabited his body…"

"Then he has a child that shares blood with a god," finished Kagome. "And this letter kind of makes it sound like it's a demon child too. But since he was human then the mother must have been a demon." She stopped, not wanting to say what both of them were thinking.

Sesshoumaru nodded and looked down at the paper in his hand. "Yes. It is most likely that my mother is the mother of this new enemy." He sighed and for the first time in so many years, he sounded tired. "It appears I have not one, but two half-brothers to contend with."

Kagome frowned and walked forward. "Don't worry about it. I mean, we're just making assumptions. Jumping to conclusions. It could just be the son of some general or something."

"It still means that we have another homicidal demon to deal with. One that possibly possesses extreme power."

The hanyou sighed. "Well then, we'll deal with it when we have to."

"Yes. It is not important at the moment," agreed the taiyoukai as he turned and tucked the parchment underneath a large stack of official documents. It had grown to an alarming height again, in just the week he had been gone.

They stood for a moment in silence, looking out the floor-to-ceiling windows that served as the backdrop for Sesshoumaru's desk. The sun was already setting and Kagome found herself wondering where the day had gone. "Sesshoumaru?"

"Yes?"

"You have a dungeon, right?"

He turned back to look at her. "Naturally. We have a larger prison in the barracks, but there also dungeons beneath each of the castles of the city for the particularly dangerous criminals. Why do you ask?" He suspected he knew the reason for her question.

"I want you to throw me in there for tonight. For as many nights as I feel is necessary."

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Absolutely not. It is no place for a pregnant female, nor for one of my guests."

"Well maybe 'throw' is too strong a word. Just lock me in, okay?" She clasped her hands. "Besides, Machi is in there and you don't seem to be too concerned."

A cruel smirk spread across his face. "Yes, indeed she is, but for good reason." The smirk faded. "You have done nothing to deserve that treatment, however."

"Do you really want me up here? With the kids just across the hall?"

The taiyoukai frowned. "If the guards assigned to their posts in the hall cannot stop you, there is no guarantee that the dungeon guards can accomplish it. You commanded the very elements when you were under Amatsu's power."

"Exactly," Kagome agreed. "I could blow this castle apart if I really wanted to, but since you won't _let_ me leave, at least do your best to contain me. I doubt if I can do all that fancy stuff without being a part of the weapon anyway. Inuyasha and Kikyo weren't that powerful before I joined them, but I'd still feel a lot safer. I want the kids to be safe. And you."

Sesshoumaru hesitated for only a moment before nodding his assent. "Very well, although I would like to point out that I stood my ground against you once before."

Kagome bit her lip, not telling him that she remembered holding back. A few lightening bolts and some rain really had not been the pinnacle of her power, but she would tell him that later. After that sort of power was only accessible when all three components of the weapon were together. "Great. Will you walk me down there then?"

"I will, but you will be released in the morning for your training. As long as I am able to accompany you, you will be free from that filthy place."

The hanyou looked down to her hip, where Tetsusaiga had been sitting quietly all day. She pulled it out, sheath and all and handed it over to the demon lord without ceremony. "You should keep it with you. Until I need it again, that is."

To his credit, Sesshoumaru didn't express any surprise or greed over holding the object he had quested after for so many years. He simply nodded in agreement and tucked it into his sash between the Tenseiga and Tokijin. The two swords of his father were reunited for the moment, but he displayed no joy over this, nor any anger that he would have to relinquish it once again.

Kagome smiled vibrantly. "Let's go then."

They walked down to the third floor, across the bridge and down into the main part of the castle in a comfortable silence. Kagome, never having taken this path before, looked about her in curiosity at the demon ambassadors and the beautiful brushwork on the walls. After several minutes of this easy quiet, Sesshoumaru felt that he had to cover one subject before locking the female bearing his child into the dungeon. "Kagome."

She loved the way he said her name. It was so warm with a strength behind it that not even Inuyasha had achieved. "Yes?"

"We should discuss what I said before, in my room."

Kagome nodded. "About the baby being your heir?" She was once again in a state of calm, probably because she knew she would be safe in the dungeon and that Sesshoumaru had finally taken her concerns seriously.

"Yes." He swallowed. "You said, correctly, that if the pup was my heir then it was necessary for you to become my mate." Kagome didn't say anything and so he continued, drawing a deep breath to expand his chest. "The position of Lady of the Western Lands is an important one. Many lords do not require anything of their mates, but that is not so in the West. The Lady is in charge of the household and in such a large household as this, that is quite a challenge.

"In addition, if she is able, she will attend the Lord in battle. Fighting alongside him is not necessary, but she must assist him and the generals on the field. She is a diplomat and a nurse, if needed. If the Lord dies, she will temporarily take his office unless there is a grown son to take it for her. She…"

"Sesshoumaru," interrupted the rather bored Kagome.

"Yes?"

She looked up at him. "Are you asking me to become your mate? Because you can just ask, you know. I don't need a list of duties right at the moment."

He fixed her with an appraising stare. "I was just guaranteeing that you understand what is required of you. It is not an easy task." The dog demon lifted his head and stared at the black door at the end of the long hallway that led to the dungeons beneath the castle. "You were also not very receptive to my _alternate_ methods of asking the question."

She smiled dryly. "You mean when you were stalking me in your room?" She laughed softly and looped her arm around his, letting her fingers run through the soft fur of his tail. "Well, you're quite imposing you know. Do you blame me for being intimidated?"

Sesshoumaru smirked slightly and again glanced down at her upturned face. "I can be less _intimidating_, if you wish."

They had reached the black door, beyond which Kagome could smell the scents of several guards. She stopped short and turned to face the taiyoukai. She was still smiling, but it was now a quiet, sad smile. "I know you can, but it won't help."

Her tone made the inuyoukai frown. "Are you once again rejecting my offer?" He could barely suppress the annoyance and anger in his voice.

Kagome looked stricken. "No! No, I'm not. I promise." She released his arm and placed her hands on his unarmored chest. "I want to. I really do want to become your mate, but I can't yet."

He captured her wrists. "Why?" he asked simply, not letting emotion color his voice.

"Well… I can still be controlled," she explained patiently. "Becoming your mate would put me in the perfect position to hurt you. It's the same reason that I'm staying in the dungeons until this is all over. Besides, if you had to make a hard decision, I would rather you make it with me as your friend, not as your mate."

Sesshoumaru frowned deeply. "You will not be harmed. I will not allow it. I can stand up to much more than you give me credit for, Kagome."

She smiled. "I don't doubt it. I probably am underestimating you, but I'm _not_ underestimating Amatsu. And he's the real danger here. All of us will be much safer if I stay away from you for the time being. I have to sort things out still. Remember that."

He studied her face. "There is another reason. I can smell that you're holding something back."

Kagome shrugged and lowered her eyes. "Damn that nose of yours," she muttered before looking back up at him. "Okay, I'll tell you, but you can't interrupt. Promise?"

"Yes."

She released herself from his grip and began to play with her hair, pulling it forward over her shoulders and braiding loose plaits. It seemed as if she wouldn't speak for the longest time, until she finally dropped her locks and looked up at him. "I love you," she said without preamble. "I know it now. I love you and no one else. But I know you well enough to realize that you aren't going to reciprocate that. Not yet, not even if you feel it. I know that and I accept it." She took a deep breath and pushed it all out. "But I can't be with you until you do admit it."

He took a moment to process this. "So you will love me in silence until I tell you that I feel the same way?" he asked.

Kagome nodded. "I know it might be a bit ridiculous of me, but I can't help it. I need to hear the words." She smiled up at him and he saw that tears were misting her eyes. "But I won't give up either. I told you that I love you and no one else and that's true."

"Not even my brother?"

She expected the question. "I loved him in the past and I love his memory. But his soul is gone. I know that now. Just took a few demonic possessions for me to get it, I guess."

Sesshoumaru gazed at her for many long moments. He did love her and he knew it, but she was right. He had only admitted it to himself a few moments ago. He was not ready to admit it to her. His heart was eased by the fact that he knew she was sincere. She _would_ become his mate and she would love him unconditionally, despite every atrocity he had ever committed against her and others. He supposed that he would have to amend his belief that the Lord and Lady of the Western Lands did not have to love one another. "Very well," he finally said. "I must announce the decision as soon as possible, so that the pup will be legitimate, but we have until it is born before the ceremony must be carried out. So I accept your terms."

Kagome nodded. "Somehow, I knew you would." She placed her hands upon his chest once again and lifted herself to her toes to brush an air-like kiss across his cheek. "Thanks for understanding," she whispered as she stepped back again.

When she looked up at him again, she saw to her delight and surprise that Sesshoumaru wore a small smile. It made him appear wickedly beautiful and she sighed with happiness. As she did, she felt something move within her heart, as if something had touched her soul. She gave a little gasp, causing the taiyoukai lean forward with concern. "Are you injured?"

She shook her head. "No. The baby. I can feel it now. I know it's there." She laughed. "It feels funny. Good, but funny."

The tiny smile returned. "I am pleased. You were beginning to fear that I had been lying to you."

Kagome colored slightly. "I hope the baby looks like you."

The smile faded from his lips, but his eyes were still extremely satisfied. "And if it is a girl? Do you not wish it inherits your beauty?"

She flushed completely at his honesty. "Well, maybe. Perhaps a girl will look like your mother. She was gorgeous."

He nodded. "She was. Hopefully, our pup will know its grandmother." He noticed Kagome flinch and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you certain you are uninjured?"

"Um, yeah…I'm just tired." She gave him a lopsided grin. "Come on, let's get me into the dungeon. Sooner I get to sleep the sooner I can start training with you in the morning."

Sesshoumaru gave her a rather long look, but finally pulled the black door open and led her down the stone spiral stairs to the dungeon. Three more doors stood between them and the lowest, third level of the prisons, each unlocked by a pair of keys held by the two guards at each post. Down here, in the presence of the sentries, the taiyoukai was once again all business. "We have more guards on duty when we have prisoners, but besides Machi, no one is down here at the moment. If you wish, I will post more."

"Um, yes please," Kagome said offhandedly as she stepped down another flight of stairs. This one was slimy with moss and algae. "You're going to bring fresh clothes right?"

"Jaken will attend to that," he responded. He waited for the final door to be opened to expose a short hallway with cells lining one side, numbering around twenty. "This is where we keep the worst of our adversaries, usually as they await execution. There are many magical wards on these walls, almost as strong as the ones I was trapped within."

The hanyou nodded with satisfaction and followed him to the final cell door. Sesshoumaru unlocked it himself and held it open for her. It was not cozy, but it was cleaner than she had expected. A straw mattress lay atop a stone platform to one side and a wash basin was on the other side, fixed to the wall. "Homey," she commented as she stepped inside.

"You led me to believe that this is what you wanted," he answered.

"It is. It's fine." She smiled wanly at him. "Just don't wait too long in the morning to come and get me, okay?"

Sesshoumaru gave a sidelong glance at the guards standing at the end of the hallway, making sure they couldn't eavesdrop. "I promise." He looked pointedly at her still flat stomach. "Take care of the pup and of yourself."

"Sure thing."

He closed the door and locked it, the rust grinding as the key turned. They looked at each other for a moment. Kagome knew that he wouldn't risk saying anything even remotely romantic, and so she was pleased to hear a gentle 'goodnight.'

"Goodnight," she answered, barely quick enough before he left her sight. She collapsed onto the bare mattress and tucked her arms behind her head. "Goodnight," she repeated, before rolling on her side and closing her eyes.

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A/N: Oh goodness… that was so hard to write. I think I went through about 10 drafts, especially of the first part. It was difficult for them to have a meaningful conversation without giving away too much. Ended up being much shorter than I had expected (that part anyway). If you think Kagome was acting a bit erratic in the beginning, that's intentional. Is she under the spell still? Isn't she? Haha. Anyway, review and feel free to congratulate me on my engagement! (Aren't I so modest?) Oh… and Happy Valentine's Day!

Review responses removed due to ban


	21. The Northern Army

A/N: I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I really have no excuse except that it was a hard one to write. I figure there's about six more chapters left, maybe more. I wasn't planning that many, but I felt that it would be too rushed to finish in five or less. I've incorporated so many threads that it's going to take awhile to tie them all up, but I'm sure you guys don't mind. Thanks to all of you that congratulated me on my engagement. It meant a lot to me. I hope you enjoy the chapter and be sure to review!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 21: The Northern Army

Sesshoumaru stood by his window and watched the rays of the rising sun crest over the horizon. Placing a hand on the windowpane, he could tell the air was cool, finally the temperature that was proper for this time of year. Soon the herds of animals would be penned, readily accessible for the winter feasts. The final harvests would be brought in as well, for not all demons ate only meat, as he did. He never had kept crops before, leaving such a task to the seven lesser households of the city. Only when Rin had arrived did he see the necessity for grain and rice in his home.

And now Kagome of course. She ate with the children, the food of lower class demons and humans, although he did not mention that to her. The servants certainly knew better than to say such things. He supposed that it was prudent to overlook her human vices.

He exited his bedroom and opened the door to the left in the short hallway. Although his father had kept this room as a personal shrine, Sesshoumaru had immediately converted it to something with more relevance to his own life. It now held three full walls of armor and weapons. They were mostly useless trinkets that past lords had used in their own glory days. Many were broken or dulled to the point that they couldn't slice bread, much less bodies.

Upon the fourth wall, however, were his most treasured possessions. The statue of Bishamon, god of war and justice sat beneath the windows. It had been this god that his father had revered so greatly, and although Sesshoumaru was not particularly religious, he occasionally would offer a prayer to this Western family protector. To the side of this statue, a sword rack held both Tokijin and Tenseiga. His power and his birthright.

On the other side, there was a cedar chest that held his mother's possessions, which he had saved since childhood. He had always hoped to return these, and his father had allowed this bit of sentimentalism in usually stoic son. It was to this chest that Sesshoumaru went now. Opening it, he saw the fine silk of his mother's most treasured kimono. She had worn it the day she was presented to his father as a mate. Since then, Kaori had only taken it out for special occasions. It was rather old-fashioned with a pattern of cranes and flowers, but it was still elegant. Sesshoumaru remembered that she had worn it the day before she had disappeared, to celebrate their victory over the humans.

Atop the kimono, Tetsusaiga was resting quietly. It was so battered and lackluster. No wonder he had not been enamored with it at first. But true power was deceptive; it lay beneath the surface. Now it was beautiful.

He picked it up and pulled the sword from its sheath. The fact that he could hold it was precious to him, a gift from Kagome that she hadn't been aware of giving when she willingly handed it to him. It remained the beat-up katana that she had pulled from its place in his father's tomb so long ago. He knew it would not actually work for him without human blood. And yet, Sesshoumaru studied it from every angle, relishing these few moments with the object of his deepest desire.

But Kagome possessed it now, even as he held it in his hands. Her scent was permeating the metal and wood, mingling with the older scents of his brother and father. It spoke of its dedication to his lineage, but not to him.

At least his child would be able to handle the Fang, with its fourth of human blood. He never thought that having a pup with impure blood could be an advantage in any way.

The sunlight began to pour in through the window and Sesshoumaru realized he had been dallying over Tetsusaiga for entirely too long. Despite any declarations of love she had made, that wouldn't stop Kagome from chewing him out for being late. He tucked the sword underneath his sash, quickly pairing it with his other two blades.

As soon as he stepped out of his apartments, it was clear that all of the guards had heard of Kagome's imprisonment. Their eyes burned with questions, although they tried desperately to hide it. He ignored these covert stares, but could not stem his annoyance for the perpetual gossiping of his court.

The staring followed him all the way down to the main floor and to the black door. A few nobles even gazed at him openly, with no fear of his temper. He made a mental note to make a heartless decision in the near future. If these fools thought that a half-demon female was making him soft, they would be very much surprised.

The air of the dungeon was more oppressive than ever as he descended the stairs, but at least there was no scent of blood in the air. Kagome had apparently kept her mind intact and had not gone homicidal on his guards. Thank Kami for small blessings, he thought idly.

He waited for the final door to be unlocked and went down the hall towards Kagome's cell. He could hear her rustling about and her yawning. Smirking, the inuyoukai finally had her in his view. "Good morning."

Kagome smiled at him. "Morning." She was folding her previous day's clothing. Jaken had apparently done his duty and brought her fresh clothing for her morning training.

Sesshoumaru produced the key from the folds of his kimono and unlocked the door, but did not open it. "I trust you slept well?"

She shrugged and picked up the spring green yukata. "It was okay. I didn't have any nightmares, but it was kind of hard to fall asleep on this straw mattress. It's not very comfortable."

"Do you expect to be comfortable if you're in the deepest dungeon of the Western Lands?"

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him as he finally swung the door open. "Jerk," she huffed. "So what torture are you putting me through this morning?"

Sesshoumaru considered several possible answers to her question, many which were not meant to be spoken aloud. Kami, when had his mind become so sullied? Finally he said, "Nothing strenuous, considering our remaining injuries. I have decided that you will practice transforming the Fang. You need to learn how to handle it properly."

"I can handle it just fine," she commented as they began to climb the stairs.

The taiyoukai raised an eyebrow. "You hold it as just a weapon. It must be held as an extension of your own body." He pulled Tetsusaiga from his sash and handed it over to her.

Kagome looked down at the battered katana. "Inuyasha certainly treated it that way. Seemed to work for him, I guess." She glanced back up at the taiyoukai. "Well, I'll try. Don't expect much from me though."

"When I was a child, my father feared that I had no skill in battle," Sesshoumaru said after a moment. "I had little desire to follow in my father's footsteps."

She stared at him for a moment and then laughed. "I don't believe you!"

"You think that I would lie to you?" he asked with a raised brow. "I was simply trying to… empathize with your fears of inadequacy."

The hanyou laid a hand on his forearm and grinned. "Well, I appreciate it, but are you really trying to tell me that _you_, of all people, didn't want to pick up the first sword you could lay your hands on and go to battle?" She shook her head, still smiling. "I just can't believe it, but it's really sweet of you to say that."

Golden eyes turned down to hers. "It is true, Kagome."

She swallowed. "Oh. What happened? You seem totally committed to your skills now."

Sesshoumaru nodded once. "When my mother disappeared, I vowed vengeance. I dedicated myself to the study of the sword and surpassed all expectation. I transformed from a lost cause to a prodigy quite quickly. Within a year my abilities went beyond all others of my age."

"Now you get to have your revenge."

"Yes. I had thought that it was hopeless, but Amatsu has ironically made it possible." He gave her sidelong glance. "I would appreciate knowing more of how this is possible, however. The method of melding between my mother's lover and the god could prove crucial to his demise."

Kagome smiled weakly. "I know. I'm trying to remember, but it's difficult. I might not even know anything useful."

"I understand. We will not attempt to meditate together again, considering the possible risks. Relaxation techniques will probably suit our purposes. It opens the mind, but not to outside influences," he said.

"Sounds good."

Sooner than expected, Kagome found herself outside once again. She sucked in the cool air greedily, happy to be out of the stuffy dungeon. Around her, she noticed that the gardens were beginning to hibernate and the leaves were turning. Autumn was approaching fast and she wondered if the castle would be very drafty.

Silently, they made their way down to the dojo. Kagome, now that she was free from the oppressive prison, was becoming increasingly nervous. It had been more than a week since she lifted a sword and she desperately tried to remember all that Sesshoumaru had taught her. He would expect that she would know her kata and his basic guidelines, but all she could recall was his admonishment for swinging the sword like a club.

"Calm yourself," said the taiyoukai softly as they entered the building. "I will not yell at you. Not today."

Kagome laughed softly, knowing that he was only half joking with her. She was slightly more at ease though, and so she nodded and moved to the center of the room while Sesshoumaru remained by the wall. "Okay, what do you want me to do?"

"It would be prudent to see if you can even transform Tetsusaiga into its lethal form."

"You're kidding right?" She pulled the katana from its sheath and gave it a flick of her wrist, immediately replacing the battered blade with a deadly weapon. The hanyou gave her love a self-satisfied look. "I've been able to do that since the beginning. I was the one who told Inuyasha how to do it."

"Were you?" the taiyoukai asked rhetorically.

She ignored his superior tone and answered anyway. "Yes. I discovered the secret when it transformed for Inuyasha after he promised to protect me. From you, I might add."

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. "I remember the event distinctly."

Kagome's eyes softened a bit, but she did not say anything more about that day. It seemed as if they had reached an unspoken agreement about it. He had tried to kill her and lost an arm for the effort. "You taught Inuyasha about the Wind Scar though," she finally said. "And that it sealed his demon blood."

The taiyoukai nodded once. "The Wind Scar was not an intentional lesson, but I did not wish that his demon blood be released. Mindless murderers do not preserve my family's name."

She smiled, realizing that the inuyoukai could be at knife point and still not admit that somewhere he harbored a bit of brotherly affection for Inuyasha. It was expected from the stoic dog demon and she didn't want to push the issue. Instead, she turned back to her sword. "Okay, so what do you want me to do now?"

Sesshoumaru drew Tenseiga and walked forward. "I want you to attack me. You should get used to the Fang's unusual size and shape. It is not like any other sword you will ever wield."

Kagome lifted the blade and stared at him. Something was itching at the back of her mind. "I could hurt you."

"No, you don't have that ability."

The hanyou nodded and raised the sword to the level of her shoulders. "Ready or not, I guess," she whispered, running forward and aiming at Sesshoumaru's side.

He blocked the blow and moved to the left. "Very good. Attack again."

Kagome breathed a bit easier, knowing that she wasn't failing miserably. He had even complimented her! She turned and attacked with increased fervor.

The sound of metal sliding against metal rang through the air as the Fang ran along the Tenseiga. Kagome felt the tension between the swords leave and pushed away, immediately swinging again at his throat. Sesshoumaru fell back after effectively blocking Kagome's assault and lowered his sword. He stared intently at the girl.

The hanyou frowned deeply. "What? Did I do something wrong?"

"No. Nothing," he responded. He approached her slowly, keeping his eyes locked with hers. "Where did you learn that?"

Kagome lowered her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just did as you asked. I attacked you."

"You moved like a professional. Many of my soldiers could not defeat you. You actually caught me _off-guard_."

The red and black headed girl shook her head. "I don't understand. Isn't that a good thing? I'm not actually better than you, am I?"

Sesshoumaru scowled. The memory of her swordsmanship during her brief time with Amatsu entered his mind. He had thought that was only another part of her capabilities, something that she should have lost with the other powers. "No, but I find it highly suspicious that you return from Amatsu's control with such skills as these. There is no way Inuyasha could have taught you all of this in just two days, Kagome."

"Well I know that." She put Tetsusaiga back into its sheath and looked at it. "It's just when I'm holding it, I know what to do with it. Is that weird?"

"Yes, I believe it is," replied the taiyoukai without hesitation.

Kagome gave him a deadpan stare. "Haha. Really, Sesshoumaru, I can't explain it. I just know. It's like last night when I figured out that I was actually, truly pregnant. I just sense it."

"It is possible that this is a remnant of your connection to Amatsu," he offered.

"More like a connection to Inuyasha," she murmured, biting her lip. She looked up to see the dog demon giving her a venomous glare, and she realized what she had said. "No! Not like that, I promise. The memories I do have though, they give me the sense that it was so highly spiritual, in a sick, twisted way."

"You shared all of your memories with Inuyasha?"

Kagome sighed and shrugged. "Yeah, I guess so. With Kikyo too. That's the part that really bugs me. I mean, Inuyasha already knew most of it, but now Kikyo knows my deepest, darkest secrets."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "But this means that somewhere in your mind reside all of Inuyasha and Kikyo's memories. It will be an even field once you unlock those. You may even be able to use their secrets against them in battle, turning your experience into a tactical advantage."

The hanyou winked. "Aw, you really know how to make a girl feel good about being kidnapped and used as a divine weapon."

"Hm, yes I suppose I do," commented the taiyoukai offhandedly as he moved towards the wall and picked up a thick bladed, blunt sword. "Use this weapon. I want to truly assess your abilities."

Kagome exchanged her Tetsusaiga for the sword that Sesshoumaru handed to her. "So I can't hurt you with this?"

He arched an eyebrow. "If you have inherited _Inuyasha's_ skills, then I have nothing to worry about," he responded. "Now attack."

The hanyou gave him a wry smile and then complied with his request. Blow after blow, they sparred with their weapons. At first, Kagome simply attacked with what Sesshoumaru would call a very 'human' style. She dodged when necessary and took the few advantages he afforded to her.

Soon, he was pleased to see that she began to improvise her moves, using her demonic powers. She lifted off the ground like an angel, avoiding his strikes with graceful, arcing jumps. Her speed and size became her allies, helping her dart around as fast as possible.

Outwardly, he remained composed as he fended off Kagome's attacks, and during the few attacks he laid upon her. Inwardly, he was pleasantly surprised. Inuyasha had never challenged him this way. Kagome had surpassed his brother's skill by tenfold and he wondered why. Could this be residue from being linked to not only Inuyasha, but Amatsu himself? Surely a god could defend himself. Perhaps Inuyasha's battle skills had _tempered_ Kagome's knowledge, instead of enhanced it. Anything was in the realm of possibility when a god was involved.

Finally, as sweat streamed down Kagome's brow, Sesshoumaru decided to end the lesson. He slid Tenseiga along Kagome's sword as she attacked and locked his blade around her hilt, flipping it out of her grasp. She hissed as it skated away across the floor, grabbing her wrist. "Ow, that hurt! You jerk!"

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. "Are you actually injured?"

She rolled her eyes. "No… but _ow_." She let her arm fall to her side as she smirked at him. "So, how'd I do?"

"Acceptable." He began to walk towards the exit.

"Oh, come on!" she called, tagging along. "You know damn well that I kick major butt now. It's official."

He sighed inwardly. "Yes, you have become a skilled warrior in a shocking amount of time. Do not let that create complacency. You must still practice your talents."

They began to walk towards the bathhouse. "I know," the hanyou responded. "I'm not going to get lazy. Hey, do you think that I can do the Wind Scar, Backlash Wave and all that other stuff now? I mean, if Inuyasha's link to my mind gave me all of this knowledge, wouldn't that cross over too?"

"You were able to call forth the Wind Scar when you fought me."

Her eyes grew wide. "You didn't tell me that. Why did you even question my abilities then?"

"I had believed that you would have lost that knowledge once your mind broke free from Amatsu. It was a reasonable assumption, considering that you cannot remember your time with him. Anyway, you didn't really fight with the Tetsusaiga. You simply pulled it from its sheath and attacked us with the Wind Scar, probably in an attempt to unsettle me. There was no true skill involved."

"I see. Well, knowing what we do now, I probably do know all of Tetsusaiga's special attacks then."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "It's entirely possible, but we will test the hypotheses at another time. For now, you will bathe."

Kagome scowled and looked over at him. "And you aren't going to? You just as grimy as me."

He met her eyes. "I was planning to bathe after you were finished, unless you would rather we take one together? It would be more economical."

The hanyou blushed brightly. "No, that's okay. I'll manage on my own."

They entered the bathhouse, the steam rising above the screens surrounding the hot water. Kagome escaped behind these screens and began to undress for her bath, stopping with half an arm out of her shirt when she realized Sesshoumaru was still there. His shadow was tall and impressive through the thin rice paper screen, standing still just beyond the entrance. "Are you going to stay here while I take a bath?" she asked incredulously.

"Naturally. You wished to have me with you at all times to prevent any further incidents." The shadow moved and sat upon a low bench. The screen bubbled out where his back was pressed into it.

Kagome sighed and removed the rest of her clothing. Jaken had apparently gone above and beyond his usual distaste for helping her and had left a kimono on a shelf for her. It was blue silk, accented with green and pink embroidery of flowers and birds. It was quite formal. "Why did Jaken leave such a beautiful kimono for me to wear today?" she asked as she stepped into the hot water. Her skin immediately began to flush with the heat.

"You will accompany me to the city's audience. They need to hear of our decision, before they realize that you are pregnant."

"But I thought it didn't matter when we actually became mates, as long as it was before the baby is born." She rested the back of her neck against the pool edge and stared at Sesshoumaru's shadow.

"It is not required, but it is _best_ if my court believes that we came to this decision before conceiving a pup."

Kagome nodded. "Okay, I guess that makes sense. It's all so political. I suppose I'm going to have to learn all these things? Who hates who, who likes who. All that."

The shadow's head bobbed once in agreement. "It is useful knowledge, but as long as you know who graces one another's beds, that will be sufficient."

She laughed and grabbed the rough, homemade soap that Jaken had left for her. "I didn't think that you were the type to gossip about those things, Sesshoumaru."

The screen went flat again as Sesshoumaru stood up. "It is not gossip, Kagome," he said, clearly affronted by her insinuation. "It is tactics. If the wolf ambassador is sleeping with the badger ambassador, obviously I would not appoint him to be arbiter between the mole and raccoon demon clans."

Kagome was silent for a moment. "Wait… what? What does a badger have to do with a mole?"

The shadow moved impatiently. "The badger and mole clans are allies out of necessity. They both make their homes under the earth. Raccoon demons are notorious for disturbing these ancestral homes while searching for food. Normally the wolves would be impartial, but not if the ambassador was in love with one of his female's allies."

The hanyou tried to picture Hachi, Miroku's fat raccoon retainer, ferreting around in the ground for food, disturbing others' homes. She shook her head after a few seconds. The picture was not coming to her. It was too ridiculous, but she took Sesshoumaru's word for it and murmured a quiet agreement.

"You will learn these things in time, Kagome."

She nodded again, although he couldn't see it. "I know. I also know that there will be a lot of people not happy to hear that the Inutaisho has chosen a half-demon as his mate."

His head turned, casting his perfect profile upon the screen. "They will accept my decision. You are more than worthy."

Kagome smiled and immersed herself in the warm water, scrubbing at her scalp as she looked up through the water. The liquid filled her dog ears, creating the soft sound of waves. Her hair swirled around her like tendrils of wet silk. She wondered idly how long she could hold her breath as a half-demon, but decided not to test it at the moment. Sesshoumaru might think she had drowned.

Lifting her head out of the water, Kagome immediately became aware of someone else in the bathhouse. There was no scent of danger, but even so, she ducked back in until only her eyes and ears were above water level.

"He is with them, my lord," a vaguely familiar voice was saying. Kagome took a moment to connect it with the weasel demon that had helped her find Nami.

"How soon will they arrive?" asked the rich tone of Sesshoumaru's voice.

"The scout said that they would be here in early afternoon, my lord."

She heard the taiyoukai give a small sigh. "Inform Jaken of this. You are dismissed." The weasel demon exited the bathhouse a moment later.

"Sesshoumaru? What's happening?" Kagome asked, lifting her body from the water. Chills ran down her spine as she padded across the floor to pick up a towel and to wrap it around her frame.

He appeared at the opening between the screens. "The Northern army is coming to assist us. Fifty thousand extra swords," he said, keeping his eyes trained upon her face.

Kagome shivered again. "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes," he conceded, "but Lord Makoto is accompanying them, which can only bode ill. He is no longer a young demon. He was ancient in my father's time. If he is traveling, leaving the North in this troubled time, he must feel that it is absolutely necessary. I fear that he has no good news for us."

The hanyou nodded. "I guess so, but we should wait before becoming pessimistic. Are we still having the audience?"

"Yes, but we will wait until Makoto arrives." He looked at her pointedly. "He is an elder who deserves the utmost respect. I have allowed you to call me by my given name numerous times, but you will not do the same to the Northern Lord unless you add the proper honorific."

She scowled at him. "Stop talking like I'm an idiot, Sesshoumaru. You sound just like the jerk you were when we first met."

He blinked, realizing that he had indeed slipped back into his old treatment of the hanyou. "I apologize," he said, rather awed at his forgetfulness. "Makoto's presence is rather disturbing to me. That is all."

Kagome shrugged and picked up her kimono, one hand keeping her towel in place. She gave him a lopsided smile. "It's fine. I should get dressed though. And you need to bathe."

They exchanged places, Sesshoumaru now disappearing behind the screen as Kagome began to towel herself dry. Hair was draped over her ears like cobwebs, the steam making it nearly impossible to remove the water from her black and crimson locks. Finally, she felt dry enough to slip into the complicated formal kimono, binding herself with the cream colored obi. It took awhile to figure it out, since she had never worn a formal kimono without her mother's assistance. Unlike human kimonos, this one allowed much more movement, something that Kagome decided she definitely preferred about the demon fashion.

She toweled her hair once more before letting it fall down her back. Tucking Tetsusaiga under the obi probably looked strange, but she didn't care at the moment. Sesshoumaru appeared at her side, his hair damp and his kimono clinging to his damp skin. He was gorgeous. Kagome almost forget to breath, but she finally grinned, letting the air out of her lungs. "Ready then?"

This was the first time he had ever seen her in a formal kimono, he realized. And even with her damp hair, she was a vision. The thick folds of the silk unfortunately hid her figure, but the taiyoukai remembered that from then on, he was the only one that would be allowed to see that. "Do you like it?" he finally said, pleased that his desire was kept out of his voice.

"It's beautiful," she answered, running her hands over her sides, craning her neck to look at the silk confection. "Am I going to be dressed like this all the time?"

"If you wish, but I doubt that you can resist the comforts of simpler garb after awhile."

She looked back up at him, swathed in white and red silk. "You wear that kimono every day. It's quite formal."

He arched an eyebrow. "It is comfortable and versatile. I would not wear it otherwise. But I will be changing for the audience with Lord Makoto. It is not appropriate for greeting such a powerful youkai."

Kagome smiled at him. "May I pick out the new outfit?"

The already arched eyebrow disappeared underneath his white locks as he recalled her joy at Izo's castle. It seemed such a long time ago now and he had interpreted her happy attempts to find him a suitable kimono as side effects of her insanity. "Do you enjoy dressing me as your plaything?"

The hanyou bit her lip, trying not to think of his comment in twentieth century terms. "I don't know. If I don't help you, I'll just be sitting around bored. I'll help the children too, if they're allowed to attend."

Sesshoumaru nodded, aware that Rin and Washi would be quite distressed if they were the last ones to hear this particular piece of news.

Kagome slipped on her geta sandals and they began to make their way back to the castle. Around them, soldiers were marching along the city walls, looking much more serious than she had ever seen them. Several of them, she noticed, were getting dirty looks from their comrades for dirty helmets and unkempt uniforms. "They're rather competitive with other armies aren't they?" she asked, guessing correctly why the soldiers looked so uptight.

The taiyoukai spared his men a brief glance. "Yes, extremely so. Perhaps I should invite a foreign army here every month if it produces this reaction. They have clearly become disorganized in my extended absence."

"There seems to be more of them than usual," she noted.

"I have seven hundred thousand men in my army," he responded. "The vast majority of those live apart from this city, but I felt the need to call back a few companies. If the city falls, so will the Western resistance to Amatsu."

She looked at him with some doubt in her eyes. "I can hardly believe that you would ever give up fighting, Sesshoumaru."

"I would not," he agreed, "but if the city falls that means that I have died. There is no fighting after death."

Kagome gave him a half smile. "I don't know. Yurei can be quite troublesome when they want to be."

A memory sparked in Sesshoumaru's mind. "Yurei?"

She frowned at him. "Yeah," she responded with uncertainty. "Ghosts have popped up here and there on my travels. They're not very fun to deal with, I can tell you."

"Kita and Danjuro mentioned the yurei. I had forgotten until now."

"Kita?" Kagome collected her damp hair and twisted it. "That horrible woman from the village? The one that was so bent on killing me that she even wanted to stand up to you?"

"Yes. I killed her and her husband in the forest before I found Washi. They had been working for Amatsu. He had promised them the extermination of all youkai, including you. It was how I discovered your capture. The woman was the one who told me of Amatsu's human shell. And they mentioned yurei working for the god."

Kagome nodded, finally understanding, and not feeling sorry for the deaths of two despicable humans. "You think that the yurei are those shadow things."

"That is what I thought at the time," he responded. "Do you remember anything that confirms the idea?"

"Sorry, no. There's still a lot more I have to work out." She frowned and looked up at him. "Kita and Danjuro had three kids. I wonder what will happen to them."

"They were as rude and cruel as their parents," Sesshoumaru pointed out. "Why do you care about their welfare?"

The hanyou shrugged. "They're kids. They could still turn out okay, now that their parents are out of the picture. Of course, they still live in that awful village. Some other bigoted family will probably take them in and continue their twisted education."

Sesshoumaru highly doubted that any amount of retraining could remove their parents' beliefs, but he didn't say it. He knew that pregnant females rarely wanted to hear such things. Instead, he simply opened the door to the castle and led Kagome to the East wing once again. He looked at her walking by his side, a contented smile upon her face. It struck him that he was very close to binding this female to him forever. "Do you ever plan to return to your time?"

Kagome took a deep gulp of air. "I don't even know if I can."

"You haven't tried."

"No," she admitted. "I'm terrified that it won't work. Or that it will, and I won't be able to come back. The Jewel is gone. That's what enabled me to go through the well. On the other hand, Inuyasha clearly didn't need it. He could go through without help from the Shikon no Tama."

Sesshoumaru looked at his future mate. Her eyes were rimmed with tears. "If you had to use the Jewel and Inuyasha did not, that implies that the well had more variables than you have accounted for. It is entirely possible that you will be able to move back and forth through the portal."

Kagome shrugged, not letting hope affect her, in case she was terribly let down. "My mother is probably worried sick about me. I've been gone for seven months." She lowered her voice and placed a hand on her abdomen. "I don't want her to miss knowing her grandchild."

"When this war is over, we will try to return to your time," vowed the taiyoukai.

She stared at him. "You actually want to come along with me? You'd be willing to risk that?"

He tried to appear nonchalant about the possibility of leaving behind his kingdom. "We will be bound to one another. I cannot allow you and our child to take such risks without my supervision. You may need my assistance."

The hanyou smiled gently at the taiyoukai. "We'll work it out, even if I do end up going myself. After all, you would just have to wait five hundred years and then you would see me exactly the same as I was when I left."

"Even for a demon, five hundred years is a long time," he said as they reached the third floor landing.

"Yeah, I know, but there's the whole time paradox thing. I don't want to blow up the universe or anything just because I wanted to see my mother." She waited until they had gotten onto the bridge to the East wing before saying, "You do know what I mean, right? I understand if you don't. It's rather out there."

"If you go forward in time at this point in your life, you cannot also see your family when you are five hundred years older. It would expose your family to the present and the future Kagome, potentially causing harm if you would meet your future self," he said. The taiyoukai turned his face down to the woman beside him. "I may not be from your advanced time, but I can conceive of these ideas."

Kagome blushed. "Of course. Sometimes I forget the distinction between intelligence and knowledge."

They reached Sesshoumaru's apartments and Kagome spotted the rose haired, sapphire eyed soldier standing guard by her own door. Before the taiyoukai could open his door, she placed a hand on his forearm.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, I would like you to meet someone." She smiled brilliantly at the young sentinel. "He defended my honor once. I thought that you would want to meet someone that is clearly dedicated to the West and to you, my lord."

The taiyoukai, slightly amused at both Kagome's sudden ladylike behavior and the pure terror on his guard's face, decided to play along. "Name?"

The guard looked like he was about to lose his breakfast, but managed to choke out, "Hachiro."

Kagome grinned. "Eighth son? Wow, I hope you appreciate your mom."

Hachiro smiled nervously. "I do, my lady."

Sesshoumaru nodded once in satisfaction and then turned to enter his room. Kagome winked at the guard before following the taiyoukai. "Don't worry, he doesn't hate you," she said laughing a bit. "I'll see you around, Hachiro."

She joined Sesshoumaru in his bedroom, where he had opened his ebony wardrobe to reveal several lush silks. He gave her an appraising glance. "You like the boy."

"I appreciate that he stood up for me when another guard insulted me." She tilted her head. "You aren't jealous, are you?"

He fully faced her, uncurling his tail from his shoulder. "I am not my brother. If you say you love me and will become my mate, I have no reason to doubt you. Why would I? Jealousy is beneath me."

Kagome joined him at the wardrobe and began to flip through the choices for the evening. "Well, if you maybe were a little jealous, I wouldn't mind," she joked as she pulled out a midnight blue kimono. "It's kind of flattering. Now, what about this one?" She barely gave him the chance to look at it before shaking her head and throwing it aside.

"I would think that after so many years between my brother and Koga, you would prefer a jealousy-free life," he responded as he watched her discard a yellow kimono.

"That was different. It was boyish overprotection. I was just kidding anyway, Sesshoumaru. I don't ever expect you to be jealous of another male. When you think about it, I should be thanking my lucky stars that we're going to be together. Males in my time are notorious for leaving the females they impregnate."

Sesshoumaru's eyes darkened. "That is dishonorable."

"Well, I didn't say that all of them did it," she amended. "Sometimes these things can turn out very well, but sometimes they don't."

The taiyoukai pondered this for a moment. "Is there anything else I should know about your time before I visit it?"

Kagome laughed, a sound that was becoming precious to the inuyoukai. "Lots, but there's not enough hours in the day for me to tell you all of it. A lot of it you're just going to have to learn yourself. It's very different, but not necessarily in a bad way. For example, we've discovered the cures to a lot of very dangerous diseases you have here. On the other hand, there are many new ones that we don't have a clue how to cure. Not yet anyway."

"It is a troubled time then."

"Yes, in some ways. In other ways, it's wonderful." She sighed and looked at him. "You're coloring is extremely difficult to match without making you look like a circus freak, you know that?"

He nodded, having heard the complaint from his mother and nurses in his earlier years. Not in those exact words, but close enough. "If we must live through the next five hundred years, we will manage it quite well, as long as you know your history of this land."

The pile of silk on his bed was growing as Kagome continued to go through his kimonos. "What do you mean?"

"You will be able to predict what will happen and where. That could be used to our advantage."

She arched an eyebrow at him, holding black silk in her hands. "Isn't that cheating? Just a bit?" asked the hanyou.

"It is using the knowledge we have at our disposal."

Kagome gave him a wry smile, throwing yet another kimono on the bed. "That's really rather underhanded of you, but I guess you're right. Just promise that we'll get out of the country around the middle of the twentieth century."

"Why?"

"I'll explain later." She pulled an ocean blue kimono from the back of his wardrobe and shook it out. It was unadorned, but bold. She held it up to his eyes, pleased that the golden undertones of the azure silk matched his eyes. "Perfect. This will look great on you. Not flashy, but dignified."

"There was a reason it was in the back," he commented as she handed him a rich amber and orange sash to replace his usual yellow and blue one. "This is a bit bright."

Kagome stood back with an incredulous look on her face. "You're a taiyoukai! You should stand out, Sesshoumaru. It's strong, not bright. I mean, what do you usually wear to these things?" She watched as he pulled out a plain gray kimono and a black sash. "Oh no… no, no. Boring!"

"I am not an ice demon."

"No, you're hot." She caught Sesshoumaru's confused glance and blushed. "Sorry, that was a joke that was beyond bad. I'm gonna go and help the kids so you can change, okay?" She waved goodbye and skipped out before the taiyoukai could protest further.

"Strange female," he murmured staring at the garments in his hand.

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Kagome knocked on the taiyoukai's door. "Sesshoumaru-sama, the Northern army is here. Lord Makoto is about to enter the city." Behind her, the children were beginning to bicker again. Neither one was very pleased about being forced into formal wear and uncomfortable shoes. She sighed and knocked again.

The door opened as she was lifting her knuckles away from the thick wood. The dog demon stood within the frame, clothed in the blue kimono. She was pleased to see that he had chosen to wear the amber sash that she had picked out as well.

"You look very handsome, my lord," she said smiling. "But why are you wearing your armor?"

Sesshoumaru glanced down at the metal plates adorning his chest. Even though Jaken had scrubbed it for hours, the steel would always possess the dents and scratches that prevented it from gleaming, as proper armor should. "It is traditional, in times of war, to wear armor," he answered simply.

Kagome shook her head, still smiling. "Well then, we should get downstairs. You have to greet your guest, right?"

The taiyoukai closed the door behind him and joined the hanyou in the middle of the hallway with the children. Rin was quite pretty in a cream colored kimono, decorated with elaborate flowers of all shades. Beside her, Washi was clothed in brown and gold. Both children were tugging at their collars, trying to loosen the restrictive clothing. He raised an eyebrow. "Cease your fidgeting. You must learn to dress and behave like others in your station."

The hanyou had to bite her lip to keep from laughing as the children dropped their heads and gave a guilty, chorused, "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Sesshoumaru nodded in satisfaction and led the way down to the main section of the castle. Behind him, Kagome held the children's hands, telling them that they must be quiet and well-behaved during the audience, regardless of what happened. He noted with pleasure that she carried herself well in the difficult geta sandals and that she was calm and collected.

The public sector of his mansion was more tranquil than it had been in days. He could hear his clerks' brushes sweeping across their pages, trying to finish all of the wartime paperwork, but otherwise, the hall was quiet. All of the nobles and their lower-born assistants were apparently already in his throne room, awaiting his news and the arrival of the Northern lord.

They walked down several long hallways, towards the grand doors that opened to the front walk. Soldiers pulled the thick wooden slabs apart, allowing the cool autumn sunlight stream into the entryway. Kagome could see a large entourage approaching them, an enormous youkai in the front. His wings nearly obscured his attendants and they shimmered with each step of his strange green, squirrel-like steed.

Finally, the party was before them and the monstrous celestial dismounted, handing the reins of his beast off to a waiting servant. The lord was clearly much older than her Sesshoumaru, but his eyes held much more energy than she had suspected. His body and wings were much like Keitaro's glittering skin, but more rotund and he sported a long silver beard. He looked like the lovechild of Santa and an angel. He was certainly not the frail youkai that she had envisioned when Sesshoumaru had spoken of his great age.

"Lord Sesshoumaru!" boomed Makoto. "How nice to see you again, my boy, even if it is under such horrible circumstances."

The dog demon bowed with Kagome and children following suit behind him. "Lord Makoto," he intoned with much more calm. "A pleasure as always. I trust your journey was not too difficult."

The celestial laughed loudly, making it ring in the hanyou's sensitive ears. "I'm an old demon, but not that old. How quickly you forget how tough I am. I doubt anything could pierce this rough hide of mine." He laughed again and crossed his arms over his dark blue kimono. "I see that you look as young as ever. I keep telling you though, that sour disposition of yours will catch up to you one day," he joked.

Sesshoumaru arched an eyebrow. "I am sure that I will manage, Makoto."

The pearly blue eyes of the Northern lord finally rested upon Kagome and the children. "And who are these creatures you have with you?" He sniffed the air and laughed again. "I never would have thought of you keeping company with a human, a half-demon and an eagle youkai. Where did you find them?"

The inuyoukai half turned and gestured the children on either side of Kagome. "The human girl is Rin, who have kept as my ward for four years now. The boy is Washi, an orphan of noble blood." He lowered his hand and kept his eyes locked on the hanyou. "The female is Kagome, my half-brother's travelling companion until he died. She is a powerful priestess."

"A miko?" repeated Makoto. "Interesting. I didn't think a demon could have purification powers."

Sesshoumaru remained silent, which Kagome took as an invitation to answer the Northern lord's unspoken question. "I was once entirely human, my lord," she said, bowing. "When I became a hanyou, I retained my priestess abilities."

"I can imagine that would be useful," Makoto said approvingly. "You must tell me how you managed such a transformation. I have never heard of it, but that is a conversation for another time. As is the subject of Tetsusaiga, I see." His jovial eyes swept down the length of the Fang's sheath.

The dog demon nodded once. "There are many things we need to discuss, Makoto, but at the moment, we have an official audience to attend. It would be an honor if you could join us."

"Of course, my young friend," the celestial answered with a chuckle. "Must be important." He winked at Kagome and let out his hearty laugh again as he walked over the castle threshold.

The taiyoukai sighed inwardly as he tried to ignore Kagome's surprised expression. Sometimes Makoto was too insightful for his own good. He was only thankful that the announcement of his choice of mate would be quite soon, instead of having the old youkai dropping hints all over the castle. He fell into step with his father's old friend. "Why did you accompany your troops, Makoto?" he asked in a quiet, firm voice

The celestial became serious, a frown creasing his face. "I thought we were going to discuss these matters at a later time, Sesshoumaru."

"I would prefer to know now." He glanced behind him, assuring himself that Kagome was occupied with straightening the children's hair. "Even if you must explain your reasoning later."

"Very well, I shall tell you, although it is really none of your business," Makoto admonished. "The truth is that if I hadn't left my home, I'd be dead right now. There is a traitor in my court and I cannot find him. I cannot defend myself against a foe I cannot see."

Sesshoumaru nodded. The fear of betrayal was one that every lord had to be conscious of. It was in everyone's best interest if the lord left his estates if that fear became all consuming. Assassins were nothing to be trifled with. "You are welcome to remain until the matter is resolved. I assume that your son has taken charge of the North?"

The celestial's wings rustled as he folded them tightly across his back. "The boy is inexperienced, but he can defend himself much more easily than I can. I've left him and his younger siblings ample instructions. I can only hope the place is in one piece when I get back. If I get back."

"You are their father. I am sure that you have imparted your wisdom to your progeny."

"I would hope so, but sometimes I think that their mother's death has had more of a consequence upon them than I want to believe," he said. Makoto's mate had died in childbirth two centuries previous, bringing their fifth child into the world.

They stopped in front of the closed doors to the throne room. Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder once again and was rewarded by a brilliant smile from Kagome. "Go in," he instructed her. "I will join you in a moment." He watched the hanyou and the children slip through the doors and decided to let the court stare at them for a few more moments before entering the den of lions.

"She's quite beautiful," commented Makoto, following the taiyoukai's line of vision. "And she's powerful as well. I can see why you have chosen her. And it's nice to know that the Western line will be preserved by this pup she's carrying."

A muscle in Sesshoumaru's cheek twitched. "How did you know?"

The celestial laughed heartily. "You stare at her as if she's made of porcelain. Not to mention that she's practically glowing with the joy of it. I doubt anyone else has noticed though, so I wouldn't worry, my boy. She'll be an excellent mother."

"If she doesn't turn evil again," he muttered darkly.

Makoto sighed. "Well, we really do have quite a bit to talk about, don't we?"

The taiyoukai brushed his hand through his long white hair. "You really have no conception of it. The woman has turned my life inside out."

"All the good ones do," chuckled the celestial.

They opened the doors and entered the throne room together. As expected, almost all of the courtiers were staring at Kagome, but they now turned to watch the inuyoukai and Makoto make their way to the head of the room. Parting before them, the demon bowed in reverence but kept their eyes fixed on Sesshoumaru. As he passed by them, they stood up and began to whisper, trading ideas about what this audience could possibly be about.

He approached Kagome, who was in a small circle with Nami, Ruri and Keitaro, just as he had expected. As the celestial beside him paused to greet a few of the higher-ranking nobles, Sesshoumaru joined his future mate, effectively stopping her in mid-sentence.

Nami and Keitaro slowly separated, putting a few feet of space between them before the young celestial bowed. "Can we help you, my lord?"

Sesshoumaru felt increasing anxiety emanating from Kagome. She clearly thought he had forgotten his promise to not harm Keitaro, even though the celestial had technically encroached upon his own claimed mate. He didn't assuage her fears directly, but lifted his chin and gave the trembling pair a stern glare. "I do not appreciate having secrets kept from me, especially when they concern the future of the Western Lands," he said. "However, in light of other circumstances, I will accept your behavior without punishment. Nami, you are freed from your obligation. Chose your mate as you will."

Nami bowed. "Thank you, Lord Sesshoumaru, for this decision."

Keitaro moved back to the water demoness's side. "Thank you," he echoed. "It is most kind of you, my lord."

The hanyou exchanged a bemused look with Ruri as she felt Sesshoumaru tense up. The celestial was truly naïve sometimes. Complimenting the benevolence of the dog demon was exactly what he shouldn't have done. She had never seen anyone put the taiyoukai on edge this often since Inuyasha had died. He and Nami were truly perfect for each other.

She turned the now irritable dog demon. "Will this be a very long audience, my lord?" she asked. Not that she actually cared; he could take all day as long as he made their decision official, but it would keep him away from Keitaro for the moment.

"No, I just have two matters to discuss," he responded, taking a deep breath of her scent. The citrus aroma immediately calmed him. "It will begin shortly." He finally looked at her, silently telling her to prepare herself, and then disappeared into the crowd to find Makoto.

"He seems a bit anxious," commented Keitaro.

Kagome stifled a giggle. "He's been this way all day," she said when she finally could trust herself with a straight face. "I think that Makoto-sama daunts him a bit."

Nami looked at her friend, noting with pleasure how the hanyou's arms were crossed over her abdomen in a protective posture. "Kagome-chan, I don't want to be too forward, but is this audience about what I _hope_ it is about?"

The hanyou bit her lip, turning her eyes up to the ceiling and giving a small shrug. "He's so unpredictable," she said, neatly avoiding the question.

The water demoness gave a happy little sigh, looping her arm around Keitaro's and leaning against his shoulder. The celestial looked rather clueless but smiled at his love's actions. Ruri meanwhile rolled her eyes. "Well, all euphemisms aside," the skunk demon began, "I wish the best for you, Kagome-chan."

For a moment, guilt stabbed Kagome's heart. Ruri had just lost her beloved mate and here they all were, choosing new mates around her. She knew from experience how painful it was to see others happy and in love when you were alone.

The black and white haired youkai caught Kagome's sympathetic stare. "Don't worry about me," she assured her. "I'm fine. I'm happy for my friends."

The hanyou squeezed Ruri's hand as she noticed a hush was falling over the crowd. Turning around, she saw that Sesshoumaru was approaching the dais with Makoto taking his place of honor on the right side of the platform. Kagome looked down as the children rejoined her, tired of running through the crowd. She held their hands and smiled reassuringly.

The taiyoukai stood before his court, waiting for the last whispers to die. "I have only two matters to discuss today," he said, his deep voice stretching out across the hall. "First, we must welcome Lord Makoto of the Northern Lands. He has arrived with a portion of his army in order to help protect the West from invasion. War is on the horizon and we must all appreciate the North's assistance." He and Makoto bowed to each other as the court clapped politely.

"I remind all of you to extend every kindness to the Northern subjects," he continued once the clapping had ceased. "They are to be treated with the respect every guest in this territory deserves. Any undesirable behavior towards them will be brought to my _personal_ attention." His voice held the promise of severe punishment. "Now, are there any questions?"

The nobles remained silent. The castle grapevine would answer any questions that were not proper to ask in an official audience. "Very well," said the taiyoukai. "I shall move on then to something of a more personal nature. As you all know, my half-brother died many months ago, a fact only brought to my attention recently. Since then, I have accepted that we have no heir to the West. Especially in this time of war, this is a dangerous situation to be in. Therefore, I have selected a mate."

As expected, a wave of murmuring swept the floor. Makoto appeared genuinely amused, Kagome's friends appeared pleased, but the rest of the crowd seemed rather confused and annoyed. The knot of females that constantly followed his movements was looking at each other accusingly. The hanyou herself was extremely pale, but calm and even had a small smile on her face. He took a deep breath.

"I have chosen Kagome as my mate and Lady of the Western Lands."

There was stunned silence from the majority of the crowd. Nami, Keitaro, Ruri and Makoto began to clap wildly however as soon as the words escaped Sesshoumaru's lips. On the other side of the room, Kagome could hear the wolf brothers yelling, "Go nee-san!" as she walked forward and joined Sesshoumaru on the platform. The children stared for a moment but then began to scream in happiness and jump around.

She bowed to the court, trying to ignore the many venomous looks that were replacing stunned expressions. As she straightened up, other youkai were finally beginning to join her friends with a smattering of applause.

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. He had not expected for his court to embrace this decision with great joy, but he had anticipated more support than this. The frown deepened as the clapping faded and hands began to be raised in hope that he would answer their questions. He looked down at the hanyou beside at him. She was trembling ever so slightly, but she returned the glance with a confident smile. "I have no desire to listen to selfish questions that are of no concern to us. Fetch the children. Makoto and I will join you in the East wing shortly."

Kagome surveyed the crowd that was now whispering about her. "What? You don't want to defend me?" she teased.

"I do not need to justify my decisions to my court. They are here to serve me and provide for the West. You and the pups you bear will be a great boon to my territory. They will not question my choice," he said rather heatedly. The truth was that he could have made many more valuable political alliances if he had chosen from the gaggle of females that followed him everywhere. In fact, his choice probably would damage some ties he had, but Sesshoumaru hardly cared. His entire life had been invested into the wellbeing of the West and no one could argue that a powerful miko could hinder his progress.

The hanyou grinned. "Well, it's official now so I don't care what they have to say anyway." She bowed deeply, aware that hundreds of eyes were still upon her. "I will meet you and Makoto-sama upstairs then."

Sesshoumaru watched as she stepped off the dais and collected the children, who were both still bouncing with joy. As she hugged her friends, including the wolf brothers that had appeared by her side, Makoto approached the taiyoukai. "It will be an interesting match. I just hope the pups take after her." He let out a loud laugh.

"We shall see," the dog demon replied as he gestured for the guards to throw open the doors, the signal that the audience was over. "But for now, we must go to my study. We have many things to discuss."

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A/N: It took forever to write that last scene. I was considering having the court ask Sesshoumaru their burning questions, but I don't think anything he could say would convince them that a half-demon was the best choice for him to make. So Kagome will have to prove it to them herself, eh? I apologize for grammatical errors – I usually edit thoroughly but I have a midterm on Wednesday and I'm sure you didn't want to wait any longer while I studied. Thanks again to everyone who congratulated me! And here are the review responses:

Review responses removed due to ban


	22. Time Bomb

A/N: The beginning of this is basically a recap. I did this for various reasons, but mostly because many of my reviews go something like "it's been such a long time since you updated that I forgot which story this was!" It's also rather a short chapter. It's not filler, but I wanted to have another piece of the story between chapter 21 and the upcoming developments.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 22: Time Bomb

"Where are the children?" he asked as soon as she stepped into the room.

"In the solarium. Don't worry about them. I posted several extra guards so that they could play in peace. I was the one who got all the nasty looks anyway," she responded, instinctively aware of the reason for his concern. She shed her shoes by the doorway and settled onto the cushion next to the celestial demon, who nodded at her in greeting.

Sesshoumaru finally looked up from his large pile of paperwork, adding a few sheets to the stack Makoto was holding. "They've recovered from their shock then?"

"Apparently. Didn't you get any dirty stares on your way up here?" Kagome asked.

The taiyoukai looked slightly appalled. "They would not dare."

She rolled her eyes, wondering how he could so quickly change from the rather sweet, protective youkai in the throne room to the snotty aristocrat in the study. Sometimes she felt like she should be asking where the pod people had taken her real Sesshoumaru. "Well, they certainly felt comfortable enough to do it to me. Maybe you should have answered a few questions after all. It might have helped them understand some things."

Makoto snorted and glanced up at her. "They'll have their own opinions, regardless of what the boy tells them. Don't let it get you down, my dear. Only when they see what a graceful, talented leader you are will you have any hope of changing their minds."

Kagome blushed and lowered her head. "How do you know I'll be such a good leader of the West?"

Sesshoumaru was taking interest in the conversation again as the celestial youkai laughed softly. "Ah, that's not hard to figure out. You have Sesshoumaru's guidance for one thing and he learned from the best. His father and me." He grinned at the girl until she returned it with her own brilliant smile. "Well, enough of that. We have more pressing issues to talk about, don't we? Come on, boy, explain all of this to me." He gestured to the heap of papers he had plopped back onto the desk.

"Hmph." Makoto was like a second father to him, but Sesshoumaru detested his commanding tone and the way he called him 'boy', as if he was only ten years old. "Kagome, you will explain the situation. Doubtless, you can do a more satisfactory job."

The hanyou arched a delicate eyebrow but shrugged and leaned back into the cushion to make herself more comfortable. "That's fine. You'll get the quick and dirty version and then I'll clarify anything you wish," she said to Makoto, feeling rather tired all of a sudden.

The celestial folded his clawed hands across his lap and nodded at the girl. She had his rapt attention.

Kagome let her eyes droop a bit, the warmth of the fire in the next room finally seeping into her bones. "I loved Inuyasha," she began, barely hearing Sesshoumaru's soft intake of breath. "My friends died and then he did too, all in the same day. He took the Shikon no Tama from Naraku's corpse and handed them to me along with Tetsusaiga. Then he went to die by Kikyo's hand as a full-blooded demon."

"Kikyo?" The name sounded bitter even upon Makoto's lips.

"My soul's previous incarnation, who was brought back to life by a witch who wanted to enslave her. Inuyasha loved her very much at one point, but he loved me by the time he died." Her voice was cold, but not from grief. Instead, anger radiated off of the girl in waves. "I used the Jewel to become a half-demon, giving me the blood to wield Tetsusaiga. Then, when I heard about Sesshoumaru's imprisonment, I set off to find him. And obviously, I did."

Makoto grinned. "I imagine he was rather a blowhard about it." He laughed when Sesshoumaru made a rather rude noise. "Oh, come on, boy. You never knew how to appreciate being saved by a beautiful female."

Kagome gave her future mate a coquettish smile, earning her a stern glare. "Yes, well, we didn't get along too easily at the beginning, but somehow we managed. Washi probably helped with that. Anyway, we got to the village where I had buried Inuyasha and my friends. It was where we had met, but when we got there, Inuyasha's remains had disappeared. I suspected Kikyo. Then, undefeatable shadow creatures attacked me and took my blood."

"Your blood?" the celestial repeated. His eyes were rather wide. "Why?"

"Well, to bring back Inuyasha, as I later found out. But I'm getting ahead of myself." She leaned her head back, resting it on the roll of the cushion. "First, I had to figure out who would even want my blood. I knew there was a lord that was inciting riots in the lands and I knew there was an undead priestess, but I didn't know why they would be connected. Then, I found the symbol of the lord in a book of the gods."

The light that constantly twinkled in Makoto's eyes died and was replaced by a sarcastic gleam. "Ah, I'm going to enjoy this, aren't I?" he quipped.

"It's Amatsu," said Kagome with a sigh. "We're fighting the god of evil."

"Why is it that you tell him the devastating bits of news immediately and yet force me to wait constantly?" asked Sesshoumaru suddenly.

She scowled at him. "Perhaps I like watching you squirm." The hanyou turned back to Makoto, determined to finish this without further interruption. "Amatsu inhabits the body of the human that took Sesshoumaru's mother from the West. Inuyasha and Kikyo are alive and well and working together. When they kidnapped me, the three of us formed a triumvirate of power. We could destroy the world and so of course, Amatsu is keen to get me back and turn my heart black again. It will be hard to do of course, but possible. I'm actually quite a threat."

The celestial gave her a level gaze, putting the tips of his fingers together. "Well, is that it?"

Kagome shrugged. "Pretty much. Sesshoumaru saved me of course, but I'm far from free of Amatsu's power. I can wield Tetsusaiga now as if I'd been practicing for years. I could fight before, with my claws and agility, but it was rather haphazard. Sesshoumaru says I move like a pro now."

"You fight well enough," the taiyoukai murmured, poring over his papers once again. "You forgot to mention the newest addition to the family."

"He already knows about –," she broke off as her eyes got wide. "Of course, how ridiculous of me. Amatsu and Kaori quite possibly have a child, another half-demon. I've seen him in my broken memories of my time with Amatsu I think, but we really know nothing about him."

Makoto appeared slightly bemused as he looked at Sesshoumaru. "You really do tend to attract these half-demons, don't you, boy?"

"Clearly," he answered with some bitterness.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" she asked with a shrill tone.

The taiyoukai looked up at her with shining golden eyes. "Perhaps it is half-breed brothers that I am plagued with. I would say nothing against the mother of my heir."

"You're such a bad liar," she accused, although the threat had disappeared from her voice.

"I never lie," he responded with a smirk. He was rewarded by a charming smile from the girl.

Makoto cleared his throat. "Do I have to be here for this?"

Sesshoumaru blinked and glanced at the celestial with slightly wide eyes. "I apologize. I did not intend to… flirt." He said it as if it was a dirty word.

The elder demon boomed with laughter at the younger pair's stricken expressions. "Calm down, boy. It's just our nature. Until you actually make Kagome your mate, you'll feel quite affectionate towards her. After all, she could have chosen another male, even though she carries your pup." He shrugged. "It's just Kami-sama's way of assuring that she wants you. My brother went through the same thing when he impregnated one of the ladies of my court. They're quite happy now."

Kagome looked up at the ceiling with a small smile. "Well, that is quite interesting."

"It's perverse," retorted the taiyoukai. "Do not expect much."

She rolled her eyes. "From you? Never."

Makoto watched them glare at each other for a moment before standing up. "I think it is high time for lunch. Come on, boy, show some hospitality and feed your honored guest." He turned an eye to Kagome. "You will of course join us, my lady?"

"Naturally," she said, smiling at the way the celestial so easily manipulated Sesshoumaru's actions. "I should get the kids though. We haven't had a proper meal together for awhile."

As they moved out of the study and down the narrow stairs, Makoto glanced back over his shoulder at Kagome. His face shimmered as it peered through his angelic, translucent wings. "I believe that I have a theory about your sudden proficiency in fighting and Tetsusaiga, my lady."

The hanyou arched an eyebrow. "I would love to hear it."

"I remember when Sesshoumaru's father went to have Totosai forge the twin swords. Tenseiga was clearly intelligent. It beckoned when it wanted to act and stayed silent when it would not do anything. Tetsusaiga on the other hand was full of power, pure brawn. It followed Inutaisho's will and was meant to seal Inuyasha's demon blood. From the beginning, Inutaisho knew that his half-demon son would have difficulties keeping his human blood dominant. He had seen other hanyous die by giving into their demon side. But Tetsusaiga seemed only to be a restraint, nothing more. I always suspected that he was underestimating his own Fang."

Kagome listened to him rattle on as they exited the East wing and moved down the hallways. "Okay, I understand all that, but what does that have to do with me?"

Makoto turned a sparkling eye to her. "You're half-human, correct? Not even Amatsu could change that."

"He could give me more power," she answered with a shrug, "but I don't think he really wanted to mess with my blood. The prophecy that spoke of the triumvirate weapon spoke of two priestesses and a hanyou. Turning me into a demon might have upset that. I might have lost my miko powers."

The celestial nodded. "Precisely. He kept your blood but tainted your heart. I expect you were quite savage, were you not?"

Sesshoumaru and Kagome nodded once in unison. "I was horrid," the hanyou said softly.

"Demon-like?" offered Makoto.

She smiled. "Well, not like you, my lord. I was more like the wild demons that Inuyasha and my friends killed over the years. The ones with no mind except for violence."

"You haven't seen me in battle, when I was younger," answered the celestial. "All demons can be feral if the need calls for it. In essence, Amatsu brought forth your demon tendencies without actually transforming your blood. It's quite ingenious really, to keep all the desirable pieces of a personality as complicated as a hanyou's and yet not have any of the downsides. I suspect that you would not have suffered from your night of being human either."

"That would have been nice," admitted Kagome.

Makoto gave her an indulgent smile. "Well, I believe that Tetsusaiga didn't really want that to happen. As much as the Fang seals demon blood, it protects the human side as well. When Sesshoumaru came to you, I would imagine that it tapped into the remaining humanity you had left that wasn't darkened."

"So you think that it protected a piece of me and then took advantage of it when Sesshoumaru shocked me out of my murderous rage?" she asked, watching the celestial nod in agreement. "But that doesn't explain why I can _use_ Tetsusaiga."

"Doesn't it? Tetsusaiga was protecting you. It taught its techniques to you so that you could escape when you had the chance."

Sesshoumaru frowned. "But it was Tenseiga that transported us from the battle. And why would the Fang transfer its power to Kagome, but not to my brother when he was using it? I can think of several occasions when it would have been quite helpful to know its full range of techniques."

Kagome shook her head, slowly coming to understanding. "But Inuyasha always learned the attacks when he absolutely needed to. He was never too late and he always seemed to know what to do when it came down to it. So perhaps Tetsusaiga was telling him what to do, but he didn't realize it." She looked at Sesshoumaru. "Besides, Tetsusaiga is intelligent, not psychic."

"True enough." Makoto shrugged. "Of course, it is only a theory. It's possible that it has something to do with the baby. Or perhaps there was a link between you and Inuyasha during your captivity. I don't think we will ever know for sure, so I would just enjoy it, my dear, and hope that it isn't temporary."

"Temporary?" Kagome frowned deeply and placed a hand on the hilt of the sword. "I don't want to lose it. It's nice being able to defend myself."

"And the skill to slice apart one hundred of my well-trained soldiers is something I truly look for in a mate," interjected the taiyoukai.

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him. "You're just jealous that you had to go through all that training before you could even pick up a regular sword."

Makoto let out a bark of laughter, unsuccessfully trying to keep it back as the taiyoukai scowled at his future mate. "Well now, as I said, it's just a theory," he said, as Sesshoumaru's glare was transferred to him. "I would stop sulking though, my boy."

The hanyou giggled behind her hand. Besides the fact that his presence meant the impending war was closer than ever, she was enjoying Makoto's visit immensely. They reached a junction in the hallway, one leading to the dining hall and the other to the solarium. She looked up at the males. "Will you wait here? I'll be back in a second with the kids." She winked at the taiyoukai. "I was just teasing you, you know."

Sesshoumaru nodded and watched as the girl walked down the hall. The silk kimono displayed her graceful gait beautifully, although she took the steps of a commoner and not a refined lady. It was a powerful stride though, and he knew that she would command obedience in his men.

"Stare any more, boy, and your eyes will fall out."

He broke his gaze from Kagome and glared at his elder. "Don't be ridiculous."

Makoto shrugged. "I'm just observing what it is in front of me, my boy. You know that I've never been a proponent of arranged mating. I loved my mate and I believe that is the proper way. I'm just pleased that you've found that out for yourself, Sesshoumaru."

The taiyoukai lifted his head and stared down at the celestial. It was quite a feat, considering Makoto's size, but Sesshoumaru managed to squeeze an advantage from his height. "I know that you believe that my mind is addled with the desire to claim Kagome as my own, but if you expect me to admit that I love her, you are mistaken."

"You don't love her then?" he asked, quirking a brow.

Sesshoumaru appeared slightly shaken, uncertain how to answer. "I… have yet to determine that," he dodged with uncharacteristic hesitance.

"Of course. Take your time with that, boy," Makoto responded with no little amount of sarcasm. He laughed loudly. "Well, either way, she's a spitfire. Charming girl, really. If you hadn't snatched her up, I might have taken her for one of my sons."

"I doubt your kingdom would have accepted her with any more ease than my own. She is _controversial_, despite all of her virtues."

Makoto nodded once. "Yes. You may not have noticed, but I did see a few females give you hard looks when you left the audience. This decision might have caused some trouble, my boy. I hope you're prepared for the consequences."

"I am."

"A ruler is no more powerful than the demons he rules," warned the celestial.

Sesshoumaru gave the Northern lord a sharp glance. "A ruler's strength lies in his soul. You told me that when I was just a child. Have you forgotten?"

"Of course not. If I recall, you called me a ridiculous old man," responded Makoto with a laugh. "You were just a skinny, pale pup then, but you tried to be so fierce. It was quite amusing. I'm pleased that you finally realize the truth in my words though, boy. I never thought I would hear my own wisdom come from your mouth!"

"I came to the decision on my own," he answered grudgingly.

Makoto clapped him on the shoulder. "Good! You're finally growing up then. Oh, I know that you've been considered mature for a century or more, but you're still young, my boy. You have an old soul. That's why you're such an excellent leader. But sometimes I worried that your heart was a bit too cold."

"My heart functions quite normally."

"Now it does," muttered the celestial. "Wait until the pup is born though, boy. You won't know what hit you."

The taiyoukai arched an eyebrow. "I have two children under my care already," he pointed out.

Makoto shrugged. "And they're darling, but they don't share your blood. I wonder how you can be so concerned about your bloodline and then forget it in the next moment, Sesshoumaru. Kagome's pup is your pup. It'll change everything."

"I will care for the children equally." It annoyed him to no end that his heart already seemed to be having palpitations.

"I don't doubt that. I am only asking you to realize that you cannot view the pup as your heir and nothing more."

Sesshoumaru stared in slight surprise. "Many lords treat their children as such."

"And patricide is one of the leading causes of death among our subjects," commented Makoto as if he was speaking of the weather. "That is no coincidence."

"No pup of mine will engage me in true battle."

The celestial grinned. He was rather weary of putting the taiyoukai on edge. It was engaging normally, but the twinge of fear in the boy's eyes was rather heartbreaking. "Of course not, my boy. Who could dare to fight you?"

Before Sesshoumaru could deliver a scathing reply, the males were nearly thrown off their feet by an enormous tremor. A great roar echoed down the hallway and the beams of the ceiling began to creak and groan. Clouds of dust formed in the corridor and a second crash rattled the very walls, as if the building was collapsing. Sesshoumaru regained his balance in a moment and shot down the hall towards the solarium. Makoto followed closely behind, with large flaps of his great wings.

"Kagome!" he called through the thick smoke. It coated the inside of his throat like tar, making it difficult to breathe. His next words were choked and raspy. "Rin! Washi!" Even with his demonic vision, he could only see whirling gray dust.

He nearly stepped on the guard who was lying where the door to the solarium had been. Blood was splattered across the rubble. Sesshoumaru didn't need his nose, now filled with dust as well, to tell him that this soldier would not survive. "Where are the children?" he demanded, only slightly tempered by respect of the demon's condition.

"She… she came in," the male gasped. "Then everything blew apart. I don't know… She was so pretty. So pretty." He closed his eyes and died.

The inuyoukai turned away and began to step through the damaged husk of the building. "Kagome!" he called again.

"Sesshoumaru, my boy." Makoto was next to him, floating above the remains of the solarium. "I can't smell a damn thing, but you've got several dead guards back there."

"I know."

The dust began to settle and the daylight began to break through. He had almost forgotten that the solarium was a double story room, with no upper floors to fall upon Kagome and the children. But the ceiling had been reinforced with heavy beams, enough to kill even a demon, and he feared that one of them had fallen upon them.

He wiped the dust from his eyes and began to search with Makoto's assistance. When guards came to help, Sesshoumaru snapped, telling them to remove the bodies of their fellow soldiers but to keep out of the broken room. He couldn't risk any of them to step upon his mate and his wards. He would find them.

Slowly he lifted a beam with the weight of an elephant from the ground, placing it to the side where he had already searched. The explosion had broken even that great beam in two. It was a discouraging sign, but the taiyoukai ignored it.

The dust was almost completely settled now, only hovering around his ankles. The guards were disappearing, uninterested in sticking around to witness their lord's growing frustrations.

"Sesshoumaru." Makoto landed upon the ground. "Did you hear that?"

He looked at the celestial, who managed to be nearly untouched by the thick dirt in the air. "You have far less dust in your ears, Makoto," he said evenly. "If you heard something, tell me immediately!"

"Hold on, boy." He closed his eyes and listened hard. "There! Hear it?"

This time it had been unmistakable. A soft sigh of desperation had emanated from the pile of rubble not ten feet in front of them. If he had had his nose, Sesshoumaru would have found them out immediately.

Carefully, but as quickly as possible, he cleared away the wood and debris until he could see a hand, small and human. Blood was still pulsing through it, although at an alarming rate. Rin was terrified. Continuing his pursuit he finally uncovered the girl, covered by Kagome's body. The hanyou had protected the children with her own flesh. Washi was curled into a ball, whimpering next to Rin.

Lifting Kagome off of the children, Sesshoumaru had a heart-stopping moment of panic. Her face was bloody and the wound on her chest had reopened. It looked as if she had a broken arm as well. He held her closely and buried his nose into her hair, breathing in her rich scent. She was alive. No trace of death was mingled with her aroma. Even the baby appeared to have survived intact. The instinct that had first told him of Kagome's pregnancy had returned in full force, telling him that the pup was alive and well.

He placed her in Makoto's arms and then turned to the children. Besides a few scratches and bumped heads, they appeared to be fine. Rin was unconscious, but already she was beginning to stir. Kagome had shielded them well. He lifted the little human girl into his arms and looked down at the boy. "Can you walk?"

Washi stretched his wings and then folded them again. "I'm okay. My head hurts. Is Mama going to be alright though?"

"We need to take her to Jun. You and Rin are coming too." He walked straight through the rubble and onto the grounds. Makoto followed diligently, holding Kagome as if she was a precious jewel. He recognized this mood in Sesshoumaru. Not that the taiyoukai was usually a profuse talker, but calm in the face of danger act was not like him. Sooner or later, someone's head would roll for what happened in the solarium.

They made quick time going across the grounds and through the barracks. Approaching the infirmary, he turned to a nearby officer. "Major, gather a force of fifty soldiers. Include a few of my assassins. Guard the infirmary."

The rat demon bowed deeply, his black eyes glinting with slyness inherent to his kind. "Of course, my lord. May I ask who we should be looking for?"

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes bore into the major. "Everyone. Only Lord Makoto, the children, Lady Kagome, Jun and myself will be allowed into the infirmary. Break this rule and I will personally gut you and feed it to my dragon while you still live."

"Yes, my lord." He bowed again, his eyes wide with fear. No one took threats from the taiyoukai lightly.

As soon as they entered the infirmary, Jun came hustling over to them. "What did you do to her?" she accused, giving a cursory glance to Kagome as Makoto set her down. "Lord Sesshoumaru, I swear, if you have caused these injuries in some misguided attempt to improve her self-defense, I will be severely displeased."

"I did not do this." His voice was flat.

Jun retrieved Rin and laid her down on one of the beds, next to Kagome's own cot. "The girl is fine. I'll tend to her wounds in a minute. The hanyou is a different matter. How did this happen?" She began to peel back the collar of the ruined silk kimono, wincing as blood spread across Kagome's chest.

"Did you hear the explosion a short time ago?" asked Makoto. "She was in it. She protected the children."

The old healer looked up with surprise. "I did not hear it. My ears are not young anymore, but I examined the bodies of the dead guards. Something that killed all those men would surely destroy a half-demon and a couple children. That is why I believed these wounds were from another incident."

Sesshoumaru stepped up to the bed and ran a finger along the sheath of Tetsusaiga. "It seems the sword may have saved her yet again."

Jun nodded solemnly. "The boy can stay. I want to make sure he's uninjured. But you two males need to leave. I hope you don't have any particular feelings towards this kimono, Sesshoumaru-sama." She held up her claws, still sharp despite their ancient years.

"No," the taiyoukai responded as he moved out of the room and into the foyer with Makoto.

"Liar," said the celestial as soon as they were out of earshot.

Sesshoumaru growled lightly, but said nothing in return. Washi joined them soon enough, a bandage wrapped around his arm and an herbal paste on the nasty bruise on his cheek. "Rin is awake, but her head hurts pretty bad still," he reported. "Jun-san is looking at her now. Mama is still asleep though."

"Is she alright?" inquired the dog demon.

The eagle demon bit his lip, almost slicing it with his fang. "Jun-san says that she's lucky. It could have been a lot worse. I don't know what's wrong with her though. She shooed me out."

The three males waited in relative silence while Jun tended to the girls. Sesshoumaru had enough self-control not to pace, but his mind was whirling. _If she had been three feet to the left that beam would have hit her_, he kept thinking. _She would be dead._ The thought terrified him and he was never terrified. It put him on edge.

Finally Kagome appeared at the doorway, pale but smiling. Sesshoumaru swallowed hard when he realized she was only clothed in her inner kimono. Bandages peeked out from where they were wrapped around her chest and her arm was in a split. "Wrong place, wrong time. If I had to have that as the story of my life, I wish it was a bit less painful."

"Are you alright?"

She shrugged. "I have a fractured arm and my wounds reopened, but I'll be fine. Jun said that it'd only take a few days before I'm back to top form. You demons are lucky to heal so fast. A fracture takes weeks to mend for humans."

"A sign that they are the lesser race," said Sesshoumaru, just as Rin appeared at Kagome's side. He cocked an eyebrow at her. "With the exception of you, child."

She beamed at him. "Sesshoumaru-sama, you saved me."

"Of course. Did you expect me to leave you in the rubble?"

Rin ran over to him and embraced him around his middle. "No, Sesshoumaru-sama, but I am still happy that you did. What's going to happen to the solarium though? All of my rare flowers are ruined now, aren't they?"

The taiyoukai nodded. "We will find new ones and rebuild the solarium when the war is over. For now, you must stay in the castle. I don't want you to be outside your room without at least two guards. You are my ward and I failed to protect you. It will not happen again."

The little girl rested her cheek against the metal covering his abdomen. "I'm okay, Sesshoumaru-sama. The guards have more important things to do."

"They will do as I tell them," responded the taiyoukai. "For now, we will return to the castle."

"Jun-san said that Washi and I should stay for the night. She's a little worried about the bumps on our heads."

Sesshoumaru ran his hand through Rin's hair. Sure enough, a large bump had taken up residence on the back of her head. Washi's was on the side of his skull, right over his left ear. "Very well. There are fifty guards outside. Do not try to get out until Kagome or I retrieve you in the morning. If you see anyone you don't know, alert the sentries."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." She grinned at him and fell back to Jun's side, who had also appeared in the doorway. "We'll be fine."

The taiyoukai nodded and then began to shed his armor.

"What're you doing?" asked Kagome. Her voice was tired but rather curious.

"Giving you my kimono so that you will not freeze on the walk back to the castle," he responded with perfect tranquility. "You are indecently dressed."

The hanyou clutched at her clothing, pulling it closer around her body. "Alright. That's nice of you."

He quirked an eyebrow at her unusual comment, but considering their audience, said nothing. He simply handed her the outer layer of his kimono and put the armor back on. "Then we should go," the taiyoukai said, wondering how the atmosphere had become so awkward when there was nothing to be awkward about.

"Right." Kagome patted each child on the head with her good hand. "Be good."

"Yes, Mama," they both chirped.

The hanyou smiled brilliantly. It was the first time Rin had ever called her that. She waved to them and exited with the two adult males, carefully stepping through the mass of soldiers at the entrance of the infirmary. Once they were in the tunnel separating the barracks and the city, she turned the quiet, stiff-backed taiyoukai.

He noticed her staring. "Is something amiss?"

She shook her head. "Oh, no. No, of course not."

"Very well, then you can tell me what happened in the solarium."

Kagome was very silent for a few moments. "If I tell you," she finally said, "you'll get angry. I know you will."

The guard's words came back to Sesshoumaru's mind. "Did you have anything to do with it?"

Makoto paled a bit. "Now really, my boy. You don't actually think that the girl could have done that, do you? She loves those children and I hardly think she could have done that to herself."

"She can become evil without our knowledge," the taiyoukai pointed out.

The hanyou stopped in her tracks and turned on the dog demon. "I wasn't evil! I would remember that. You're the one that keeps insisting that I'm safe to be around and not evil! And if I was, Amatsu would kind of want me to live, you know? I am part of this big weapon that's going to raze the earth."

"Perhaps."

Kagome peered around the taiyoukai to the celestial, who was looking uncomfortable and quiet. "Do you believe this?"

"I believe that this is a matter for you and Sesshoumaru to discuss," Makoto said wisely. "And I believe that I will attend to my troops right now. I'll see you at dinner, perhaps." He made a quick exit, leaving the pair alone in the tunnel, save for a few guards.

"Leave us!" barked the taiyoukai and the sentries beat a hasty retreat as well. He turned to Kagome, fire lighting his eyes. "What do you know? You can try to hide it from Makoto and anyone else, but I can sense your lies. Instinct binds us."

"What good is that if you don't trust me?" she snapped.

"This is a juvenile argument," he countered, "but if you insist, I will trust you when you decide that I am worthy of hearing the truth."

Kagome turned away and began to walk to the other end of the tunnel. "We'll talk again when you decide that I had nothing to do with this disaster. When you realize that I'm innocent."

"Perhaps…" he began, secretly pleased when this one word stopped the girl in her tracks. "Perhaps you are telling the truth. You had nothing to do with the attack. But I still sense deception, Kagome. If you are innocent, you are still hiding something from me. Something that will possibly lead us to the true criminal."

Her muscles tensed and her head dropped. "You'll get angry," she said, repeating her earlier words.

"Possibly. That has never stopped you before."

She didn't turn to face him, but her shoulders relaxed a bit. "When I got to the solarium, someone else was coming in too. She looked so familiar, but I couldn't place the face. The guards tried to stop her, but I told them to let her in. After all, I had Tetsusaiga." She sighed and brushed a hand through her hair. "I collected the kids and then I smelled something odd. Gunpowder, like the humans use for fireworks. It was burning and so I threw myself over the kids. It went black after that. I don't remember the rest until I woke up in the infirmary."

Sesshoumaru unclenched his jaw. "It was unwise of you to allow the female into the solarium, but I fail to see how you believe I would be angry at you. I am angry at the female and I will not hesitate in exacting her death."

Kagome finally turned around. Her face was burning red. "You really need this spelled out for you, don't you? I never said you'd be angry with me. The woman…" She sighed heavily. "Just don't kill me or anyone else."

A pit began to form in the taiyoukai's stomach. "You've been protecting my emotions then?"

"Of course."

"Well, cease that immediately. Tell me who this female was," he ordered, although he had a feeling that he already knew.

"Kaori," she said softly. "I don't know how, but no one could recognize her. She must have just walked right in the castle and set the explosive and walked right out. I'm so sorry, Sesshoumaru."

He narrowed his eyes. "Why? Why bother feeling pity for me? My mother has been dead to me for centuries. Why should I mourn the loss of her to Amatsu now?" He stared at her, fidgeting and twisting her hair. "Is there something else you would like to tell me?"

Kagome shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I recovered some of my memories. They were about your mother." She listened as a snarl began to form in the taiyoukai's throat. "I don't have the full picture! You can't go flying off the handle for what I'm about to tell you, Sesshoumaru!" she insisted.

"What did you learn?" he demanded, measuring out each word.

The hanyou shut her eyes tightly, trying to keep the tears in. "She loves Amatsu. She worships him. There isn't anything she wouldn't do for him. She would kill you in an instant if she had the chance."

Silence rang in the tunnel, so oppressive that Kagome thought she was going to be crushed under the weight. She finally opened her eyes to look at the taiyoukai. He was a statue, unmoving and cold, looking down onto the ground.

"Are you alright?"

His head snapped up so fast that she didn't see it move. "When did you know?"

Kagome stepped back a few paces. "The night I told you I loved you," she said without hesitation. She saw that he was angry beyond reason and had no desire to direct the uncontrolled emotion towards her. "When you mentioned your mother, I got flashes of my memory back. I saw her kneeling before Amatsu in worship. I saw her impassive face when Amatsu spoke of your death." Her voice became quieter and quieter.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His tone was soft and deadly. "We could have prevented this disaster if we had known of my mother's loyalties."

"Not necessarily!" she insisted. "Besides, I don't have the whole picture. We can't act on this, Sesshoumaru. There's something missing. A key ingredient isn't there, something that could change the whole thing. She doesn't deserve punishment until we know the whole story!"

The taiyoukai seemed to ignore her pleas. "Is there anything else you remember?"

Her shoulders sagged in defeat. "Only the demon we believe is your half-brother. I only remember one fragment of him, when Amatsu spoke of his undying devotion to your mother."

There was another spell of silence, but Sesshoumaru broke it. "I trust that you can make your way back to the castle on your own."

Kagome nodded slowly. "Of course, but where are you going?"

He appeared uncertain for a moment. "For a walk."

"You can't do anything to her, Sesshoumaru," she said again. "We don't know the whole story."

The taiyoukai glared at her. "We know enough. She is not the prisoner, but the lover of Amatsu. She desires my death, yours and the children's. It is unacceptable."

"But Amatsu _wouldn't_ want my death! Why did she blow up the solarium if my death was not in the plan? Something's missing here. You can't just go and throw your mother in a dungeon for no good reason. You're still her son."

Sesshoumaru walked up to her, so close that she could feel his breath on her face. "I almost lost you and the children. And my heir. I will do as I please." He turned on his heel and made his way the exit, disappearing through the door.

Kagome, stunned and scared, shook herself out of her daze and tried to follow the angry dog demon. She ran to the door and threw it open, escaping into the fresh air and a small crowd of nervous sentries. The taiyoukai was nowhere in sight.

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A/N: I'm sorry this is so short, but I thought it would be better to have a slightly shorter chapter than to have pointless, meandering paragraphs. I also got fewer reviews last time, which I think is in part because I take so long to update. I'm not complaining by any means, but I do enjoy feedback. Thanks for understanding and please review!

Review responses removed due to ban


	23. Kagura's Brilliance

A/N: Goodness, it's been a year since I began posting this story! I can't believe it's been so long. Ah well, we're nearing the end here, so it won't be much longer. Certainly not another year. Haha. Anyway, read and review!

The Broken Miko

Chapter 23: Kagura's Brilliance

It was a large maple tree, the largest she had ever seen in fact. It was behind the dojo, far in the corner of Sesshoumaru's gardens. The red star-like leaves made her skin glow pink as the sun shone through the pigment. Resting against the trunk, Kagome let one of her legs hang down and touch the spindly branch beneath her.

She had been here all morning and she still had no idea what to do about Sesshoumaru's recent mood shift. After their discussion in the tunnel two days before, no one had seen the taiyoukai. Although Kagome was certain that he was fine, she was painfully aware that no others had such certainty in their hearts. Many soldiers were openly speaking of the fear they had about the war and an absent leader. Makoto had had to take several battalions in hand personally, to assure and, if necessary, threaten them so that they wouldn't spread their doubts throughout the entire city. Most of the subjects were blissfully unaware of Sesshoumaru's disappearance, but Kagome knew that if the news got out, they wouldn't be nearly as understanding as when he was taken prisoner for five months.

Her wounds were healed, her arm was whole and she felt the baby within her. Instead of feeling healthy though, her head was pounding in pain almost constantly. Makoto told her that soon, she would be faced with a decision if Sesshoumaru didn't return. She could retreat and allow one of the high lords to take the throne or she could attempt to rule the West. It was her right, he said, now that the relationship was out in the open. And it might be necessary, since one of the seven families of the city could easily decide not to give back the throne if and when Sesshoumaru returned.

If the taiyoukai was in front of her, she could have really socked him in the nose without a problem.

A strong breeze swept through the boughs of the maple, bringing down a few hundred crimson leaves. Kagome put her head back against the tree and closed her eyes. "Morning, Kagura."

She felt the weight of the wind sorceress settle onto the branch beside her. "Actually, it's afternoon. You just missed lunch. Again. Sitting out here alone isn't going to bring him back you know. Stop being so ridiculous."

The hanyou cracked open one eye. "What's the use of going inside? Going to lunch? That's not going to bring him back either."

"Of course not," Kagura said with an impatient wave of her hand, "but at least you'll give the impression that you're not completely hopeless. Half the reason the guards are worried is because you aren't doing anything to help the situation."

"I'll do something when it's necessary."

The demoness scowled. "Yes, well, that would be about now. I know what a mutiny looks like, Kagome, and you're about to have one."

With a heavy sigh, the hanyou opened both eyes and sat up straight. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Of course I am. And I hate being serious like this. Deadpan wit is much more my style, but this situation has sucked all the energy from me. I can't even properly flirt with the guards."

"Perhaps that's the real reason they're in low spirits," suggested Kagome.

Kagura frowned. "See? That was my line. See how a little boredom and stress affects me? Go and _do_ something, Kagome. At least try to find him. You already know he's not in the tree, so you've got one place covered." She opened her fan and closed it again with a snap. "I'll help if you want. Anything to get me out of this depressing place."

"I have no idea where to start. Not a clue." Kagome shrugged and twisted her fingers together. "I'm afraid that he's gone to kill his mother, but I have no idea where she is either. She was in the East, but after that bombing, she can likely move great distances in very short amounts of time."

"He hasn't gone to kill his mother," Kagura said with certainty.

The hanyou looked up at her companion, puzzlement in her eyes. "How do you know?"

"Have you ever killed your parent? I have, or at least I tried. It takes a lot of power to kill the person who brought you into the world. Emotionally and physically, it's draining, and I don't think Sesshoumaru was prepared. Tokijin is still in the castle. Nothing besides that sword and Tetsusaiga could kill her and break the bond between mother and child." She frowned and looked away. "That's why I wanted him to kill Naraku for me, in the beginning. I couldn't sever the bond with Naraku. Of course, in my situation, it was much more potent, since he _literally_ held my heart in his hands."

Kagome tilted her head to the side. "How do you know that Tokijin is still here?"

"Can't you feel it?" asked the sorceress, her head whipping around to stare at her friend. "The evil aura from that sword is like a beacon. It permeates this place. Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga have similar signatures, but they speak of protection and strength. Tokijin only calls to power. It sends a chill down my spine every time I'm close to that thing. I think that's why I was so attracted to him."

"Was?" The hanyou arched a brow. "I wasn't aware that you ever gave up a potential male."

Kagura gave her a fanged smile. "I will, just this once, for your sake. I am many things, my friend, but a mate-stealer I am not. Do you think that Keitaro has a brother?"

"Probably," Kagome answered laughing. "You would have to ask him."

"Well, I will. Now that I have you in a better mood, let's go find your delicious mate." She caught the dubious look on the hanyou's face. "What? I can think he's beautiful from a purely observant point of view. Let's go."

The pair of females jumped down to the ground and set off across the grounds towards the castle. "You realize of course, that I still have no idea where he could be," commented the girl. "When Sesshoumaru doesn't want to be found, I doubt he will be."

"You're a dog demon. Well, half of one anyway," answered Kagura. "Go sniff him out or something."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I'll try. How did you always find us when I was still with Inuyasha? You always seemed to be there just when we didn't need you. It was rather uncanny."

"Kanna's mirror wasn't only for sucking out souls, you know. Naraku spied on you with some regularity."

The hanyou was rather appalled. "That's gross. He didn't catch us at inopportune times, did he?" she asked in a horrified whisper. "I mean, I can't count the times that I wouldn't want to spied upon."

"He was evil, Kagome," said the sorceress with a wicked grin. "I can't speak for every time he spied upon you, since I wasn't there all the time, but he did indeed catch you at 'inopportune times'. It got increasingly interesting as the monk and the exterminator got closer, and of course, when you and Inuyasha finally admitted to your feelings."

Kagome gave a little shriek and colored deeply. "Oh, Kami-sama," she muttered, covering her face with her hands.

"The mirror was destroyed," assured Kagura. "Although now that I see some of these males you have around here, I wish I had it again."

"You need a mate, Kagura," laughed the hanyou, trying to let go of her embarrassment. "Maybe that'll get you out of this sexual frenzy."

"I wouldn't count on it," countered her friend with a wink. "You and Nami took the good ones anyway. And as forgiving as those wolf brothers are, I think they're a bit too kind and generous for me. I need fire."

"You need a cold shower," muttered Kagome with a smile. "It couldn't hurt to be the pursued once in awhile, you know."

Kagura's grin dropped from her face. "What did you say?"

"That you should be the one that's pursued?"

The wind witch lit up again with a look that could slay the innocent and entice the evil. "I have a wonderful idea, Kagome."

Kagome drew back from her a bit. "What?" she asked slowly, with trepidation.

"Well, it's completely underhanded and cruel, but what else would you expect from me?"

"Please, go on," drawled the hanyou.

Kagura proudly pulled out her fan and pointed it towards the castle. "Everyone has connections, right? I bet you anything that Sesshoumaru knows exactly what's going on in the castle, even if he's not here himself. I mean, I've only seen that little imp of his around a couple times in the past two days, and he's always asking how things are moving along. So either he's intensely curious all of a sudden, or that toad knows where Sesshoumaru is."

"So you want to beat it out of him?" asked Kagome. "I think I can deal with that."

Kagura shook her head firmly. "Given Sesshoumaru's strange behavior, I don't think Jaken would be ready to give up that information. But we could use him to pass on a bit of information for our own purposes."

She was beginning to get the gist of the witch's plan. "You want to lure him back to the palace? I get it, but the war isn't bringing him back, so what do you have in mind?"

"You, of course. He would travel the world to get to you if you were hurt in some way."

Kagome shrugged. "I think I've been hurt plenty already. I don't know if that will really work. He knows Jun will take care of me."

The demoness looked at her pointedly. "Even if your bad health risks that of the pup's?" she asked sweetly.

"How did you know?" asked Kagome, covering her abdomen with her hands.

"For the past two days, I've seen you do that a million times," she said, pointing to the hanyou's protective posture. "It didn't take a genius to figure out what you've been hiding. The wolf brothers figured it out too, but I told them to keep quiet."

Kagome sighed in defeat. "Well, I guess everyone will know soon enough. But I'm really not sure about using this to our advantage."

"Do you have a better idea? I suppose you could go on a pointless hunt for him. Or, we could spread a rumor that you've changed your mind about who will become your mate. I have a feeling that will end in bloodshed though, and I know you don't approve of that." She rolled her eyes, as if the thought of violence was the antithesis of boredom.

"Yeah well, I don't want people getting killed over this," Kagome said, ignoring her friend's ambivalence towards bloodletting. "But everyone will know that I'm not sick. My scent is healthy and strong."

Kagura shook her head. "No, it's not. You're still healing and you're depressed. That's enough to trick a few guards with no knowledge of the healing arts."

The hanyou sighed deeply. "Okay, fine, we'll try the baby thing, but I'm not going to Jun. Those cots are like lying on a wooden plank."

Kagura smirked. "I think they _are_ wooden planks," she commented dryly. "Let's get inside and start the rumor mill then."

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It was much simpler than Kagome thought it would be. All she did was collapse in the third floor East wing, with guards surrounding her. She only had to tell them to put her in her own room, because she didn't feel as if she could make it to Jun's infirmary. "Jun-san will have to come to me," she had whispered weakly as Hachiro carefully placed her underneath the covers. Kagura stayed with her the entire time, outwardly concerned with her friend's sudden 'illness', but with a smirk in the corners of her mouth.

Jun came and went. It was a testament to how nervous the Western subjects were that the old healer readily agreed to give out that Kagome's condition was delicate and possibly fatal to the baby. Even she felt it was necessary to use whatever means possible to bring the taiyoukai back into the fold.

Most interesting and reassuring for the women was Jaken's appearance in the middle of the afternoon. He hovered about the foot of the bed, asking if Kagome was in violent pain or if it was tolerable. The hanyou put on quite a show of labored breathing and hacking coughs as she insisted she was just fine. Predictably, the toad paled and scurried from the room with the excuse of 'other business to tend to'.

Now, as evening began to approach, Kagome realized they had whiled away half a day at this ruse. She could only hope that the witch's assessment had been correct and that right about then, Jaken was giving a report full of gruesome medical details that Jun promised to deliver. The day, although eventful for others, had been dead boring for her. Kagome almost was looking forward to the titanic blowup Sesshoumaru would have when he found out he had been tricked. That is, if he didn't figure it out. He was a vastly intelligent demon, and it was a clear possibility that he had seen through the ruse. It was still a chance she was willing to take.

"The children are a bit nervous, of course," said Kagura as she sat down in the chair that Sesshoumaru had occupied on the night of the full moon. "I told them that you would be fine and to not worry."

Kagome grimaced. "I had forgotten that the children would hear this rumor too. Make sure that they're the first to know when I make my miraculous recovery."

The witch nodded and looked out the open balcony doors. The edge of the horizon was beginning to gray already. "Do you think he'll come tonight? Or will he wait until morning to make his triumphant return?"

The hanyou shrugged as she began to flip idly through the mythology text that had sat on her bedside table since her discovery of Amatsu's symbol. "I have no idea. This was your plan after all. I just hope it's soon. I don't want to be confined to bed for days. That would make my potentially fatal disease seem a bit less potent." She leaned back into the plush pillows. "I feel like an invalid."

"Good. That means you can play the part." She stood up and leaned on the bedpost. "I'm going to go and spread the word a bit more. Will you be alright alone?"

Kagome nodded once. "Yeah. It's a bit boring, but I'm sure the children will come in at some point."

"Just don't get out of bed," warned the witch. "Should I tell them to bring you dinner?"

"Only tea, please."

Kagura gave the hanyou a final smile and disappeared out the door. Even as it closed, Kagome could hear the guards whispering questions to the wind witch. Letting go of all the tension in her body, she collapsed further back into the pillows, the sounds of whispers becoming muffled and disappearing. She was exhausted, even though she had done absolutely nothing that day.

The hours passed slowly, as she dipped in and out of consciousness. Tea appeared at her bedside during one of her fitful naps and when she awoke, she enjoyed the warm brew slowly as she once again pondered Sesshoumaru's return. She was prepared for anger, but she was uncertain about what to tell him when he finally calmed down.

Finally setting down her cup, Kagome closed her eyes again. As she began to pass back into the dream world, a crash returned her to reality. Pulling herself upright, she scanned the dark room. The balcony doors, which Kagura had securely latched, were now wide open and flapping against the walls as the wind howled through the entrance. No one was there, but her skin crawled as she climbed out of bed to close the double doors.

But the latch was broken, torn from where it had been secured to the teak. No wind gust had done this, she thought with a twinge of fear. Turning, she surveyed the room again. "Sesshoumaru?" she ventured, receiving no response. There was no scent in the air and no movement. It seemed as if she was being unreasonably paranoid, but she couldn't shake the strange feeling of being hunted.

Suddenly two red triangles lit up in the darkest corner of the room, far from light of the single candle lit by her bedside. "You lied."

"Yes, I did." She didn't hesitate in her answer, but she moved over the chair in the opposite corner, gripping it as if it could protect her from the taiyoukai. This certainly wasn't what Juliet had experienced when _her_ love climbed to her window. "I felt it was necessary."

"Why?"

Kagome stared intently at the pinpricks of deadly red. "Do you really not know? Where have you been for so long? The entire castle is in an uproar about your absence during a war. Can you blame me for wanting you back?"

He finally stepped into the circle of light created by the lone candle. His eyes still glowed, but he had an air of exhaustion hanging around him. She tried finding his scent, but it was in vain. He was still hiding it from her. "There is no justification for what you did," he said evenly. "To lose a mate and an heir is the worst thing that could happen to a demon and you threatened me with that. It is not easily forgiven."

She arched an eyebrow. "So basically, you're angry for making you worry about me?" she asked incredulously. "Looking at your actions in the past few days, you really make that hard for me to believe, Sesshoumaru. Because it looks like the most important thing in your life is not your city, or your mate or your child. It's the fact that a mother that you always idealized may actually be some sort of evil minion of Amatsu! That's what you're concerned about, so don't give me some crap that you cared about what happens to me! If you did, you would have been here."

"I had to consider my options concerning my mother's situation," he snarled in return.

Kagome threw up her hands. "Oh! Well! I understand now. It's not like you could have done that _here_ after all, where the soldiers and your subjects need your presence! It's not like you had anyone like a mate or a fellow lord to ask for advice around here! Forgive me, Sesshoumaru."

His eyes seemed to blaze a deeper red as he stalked up to her, but she didn't waver. "You have no conception of my personal matters," he growled.

"Right," she snapped back, "because I certainly haven't lost a family recently. What was I thinking?"

"Cease talking in that disrespectful manner. I am your lord!"

She poked him in the chest, without fear, as she glared up at him. "_You_ are a pigheaded, self-absorbed brat!" she hissed. "Why should I have any respect for someone who abandons his responsibilities to chase something that hasn't been around for several centuries?"

"She is my mother!"

"I am your mate!" she countered. "Or perhaps I would be if you weren't traipsing across the countryside! If I have no _conception_ of your personal matters, then you have no conception of what I've been going through here. I've squashed rumors that you were dead. I made sure the children didn't cry themselves to sleep. I've even trained without you, wishing that you were there to at least guide me. I have no idea what I'm doing here without you!"

The red glow finally faded, leaving a dull, almost tarnished, gold behind. "You seem to have managed quite well without me."

"I've survived, but we haven't moved forward. You kind of need an actual leader for that, not a pathetic substitute. They need you, not some girl a tenth of their age telling them what to do." She shrugged. "According to Kagura, I haven't been doing it very satisfactorily."

Sesshoumaru frowned deeply. He had forgotten she was so young. Her experiences and her confidence belied the fact that she was only nineteen. If the pup in her womb was a female, he would never allow her to mate at such a young age as her mother. "Well, I have returned," he said finally. "You will not be put in such a position again."

He began to turn away, but Kagome darted forward and wrapped her hand around the core of his thick tail. "No, you aren't leaving yet."

"First you do not want me to abandon my subjects and now you insist upon keeping me from them. What do you want me to do?"

She sighed. "You leave for two days to decide what to do about your mother, and you aren't going to tell me? Please tell me that you'll forgive her, help her, when we find her."

The taiyoukai closed his eyes and turned his head away. "She will die, Kagome."

"But why?" the girl pled. "I thought that you would have calmed down by now."

Golden orbs shined at her again. "And I have, but that does not erase the fact that my mother has acted against you and this city several times. I do not believe that she will change and turn away from Amatsu, even if I was to spare her life."

Kagome bit her lip, drawing blood. "We don't know everything."

"No, but no one does. I must act upon the information I have at this time. When and if that information changes, I will reassess my decisions." He stepped forward and, with unusual tenderness, wiped the blood from her lip. "In the meantime, do not lie to me. I will not be so forgiving next time."

"What made you forgive me so quickly this time?" she asked, a slight smile hovering at the corner of her mouth.

Sesshoumaru couldn't stop himself, only damning his nature for a split second. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. Closing his eyes and breathing in her citrus scent, he said, "I do not believe that I could remain angry at you for very long. You are deeply frustrating to me, female. I have trained for years to only consider the logical, the facts of any case, and you have destroyed all of it. How have you done that? And how is it that I didn't kill you for it before you had me ensnared?"

Kagome hummed in happiness as she smiled at him, even though he wasn't looking. "Nami says that it's because your soul knew from the moment we met that I was the one for you. You couldn't kill me because your soul loved me, even if the rest of you didn't. Do you think that's true?"

He opened his eyes. "I hated you," he said simply.

"I know. It's rather romantic." She placed her hands on his chest and gently pushed away from him, smiling as she did so. "I think it is time for you to return to work though."

"It is," he conceded as he watched her eyes sparkle. "Damn Makoto and his ridiculous theories."

She laughed lightly. "Was that flirting again? It seemed more like pillow talk. After all, you already have me. You don't need to be romantic, even if your nature is telling you to be."

"You are going to be Lady of the Western Lands, a position of power. It would be quite wise if I kept you happy. I have the military and political power, but you could make my life very unpleasant if you were displeased with me."

Kagome smiled and shook her head. "You sound like a human husband explaining why he brings chocolates to his wife."

His brow furrowed. "Do human men always ingratiate themselves to their wives?"

"I don't think that would be the correct word," she said frowning. "Ideally, the men love their wives and they _want_ to do sweet, romantic things for them. It isn't an obligation, it's an act of love. Not every man loves his wife, but the ones that do want to keep them happy. Not necessarily with gifts either. I know you don't care for humans or their emotional displays, but many of them have quite happy relationships. Marriage is the ultimate show of love for many humans."

Sesshoumaru considered her words for a moment. "Do you wish to become my wife?"

Kagome ducked her head and began traced circles onto the floor with her bare foot. "To be your mate is enough, Sesshoumaru, and it always has been. My mother would accept it, but I just can't imagine what my grandfather would say. He'll recover though. He did when I told them about my plan to mate with Inuyasha."

"Were you planning to marry my brother as well? In your human tradition?"

"No," she answered. "We felt that being mates was plenty, especially since we planned to spend the majority of our time in this time period. It didn't matter that we weren't going to be married."

Sesshoumaru wrapped his hand around her small wrist. "I will marry you."

"What?" Her eyes were wide enough to show the white all around the iris.

"I will marry you," he repeated.

"But why? You don't have to. I told you that already. Is this some way of upstaging your brother? Because that's wholly unnecessary you know."

He arched an eyebrow. "I believe that if we are to spend any time in your era at all, we should comply with their laws. It is honorable. Your family's wishes should be upheld as well. It is proper, considering your long absence and your pregnancy. I know that humans even in this time consider it indecent to be unwed and with a child. I expect it's the same for your time?"

She nodded dumbly.

"Are women in your time allowed to leave their husbands without notification?" he asked.

Kagome shook her head and then finally found her voice. "I mean, they do sometimes, but you're still married. You can't get married again without going through a divorce, which is a rather long and tedious process."

"And so you could not leave me and go to your time to marry another male?"

"No, of course not." She frowned. "Wait a minute. Is this proposal supposed to be some safeguard against what happened to your parents? You think that I'll abandon you and end up with some dark lord or god? How ridiculous, Sesshoumaru. I'm not your mother, to begin with."

Sesshoumaru locked his gaze with hers. "I know you are not."

"Good, because you can't lock me to your side, no matter what you do." She sighed and removed his hand from her wrist. "I love you, Sesshoumaru. I am not going to leave you, but I don't want to be treated as your prisoner either. I will stay here of my own free will."

"Very well," he said, stepping back as a cold mask slipped onto his face. "I should leave and announce my return then."

Kagome suddenly realized that she had hurt his feelings and reached out to him. "This doesn't change anything. I do still love you. I still want to become your mate."

"I do not doubt that. I will speak with you later, Kagome." Before she could speak, he disappeared out the window again.

Kagome collapsed down onto the bed, confused as hell.

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The next morning, Kagome emerged from her room to find that the entire castle was buzzing with the news of Sesshoumaru's return. No one knew that he had visited her before appearing in the main hall, and for that she was very grateful, but she wished that she could see him again. He had sequestered himself in his room for the morning, with strict instructions that he was not to be disturbed for any reason. Hachiro told her that he had at least taken a large stack of paperwork, so he wasn't being unproductive.

After a couple hours of wandering about the hallways, Kagome had made up her mind to ignore his orders and went outside into the chill garden. She quickly made her way to the base of the East wing, running her hands along the walls. The great beams of wood that separated the floors would make excellent footholds. It would be easy to climb for any intruder and she knew that the only thing preventing that from happening was the murderous taiyoukai at the top.

But she wasn't going to let a little thing like his anger stop her.

Pressing off from the ground, she took a small hop to the first beam and then the second. By the time she mounted the third one, she could smell Sesshoumaru's lavender and sage aroma. The window was thankfully open. She didn't want to have to break his balcony doors.

She slid in like a cat burglar and landed softly on the pads of her feet. The taiyoukai was sitting on his bed cross-legged, with the papers spread out around him. He looked up at her, scanned her form and then went back to his work. "I see that you have total disregard for my instructions," he commented as he set aside another few pages.

"Well, I figured if you can creep in through my balcony, I could sneak through your window."

"Hm. May I inquire as to why you felt this was necessary? I'm sure that you could have convinced that young guard you are so fond of to let you into my room. Or any of them, really. The Lady of the Western Lands is frequently exempt from the lord's instructions, unless explicitly stated." He began to gather the papers into large piles. "Or do you have no excuse for your display of your thieving skills?"

Kagome crossed the room to his lively fireplace. The flames were not the only source of light, but they cast an orange glow over the room that she found comforting. "I guess I just wanted to see you."

"Lying again, Kagome?"

She turned and leaned back against the mantle. "Fine. I wanted to apologize."

Sesshoumaru placed three large stacks of paper onto his bedside table and stood up. "There is nothing to apologize for. You rejected an idea, not me. I recognize the difference."

"It was wrong of me to be so harsh, especially now."

He arched a white brow. "And what is so special about this moment?"

Kagome shrugged and pulled her yukata closer to her body. Soon she would have to switch to the cold weather clothes, made of thick wool and fur. "Deciding to kill your mother is kind of a big one, even for you and…"

"Are you insinuating that I proposed marriage to you out of my own vulnerability over killing my mother?" he asked with his usual intuition. "If that is the case, I assure you that you are incorrect. Any connection with my mother ends with the fact that I do not want you taken from me, and leaving me without any method of finding you again. That is all."

"Then why?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru joined her at the hearth. "I already spoke of my wish to honor your tradition and your family."

Kagome nodded solemnly. "Yeah, which is probably the biggest piece of crap lie I've ever heard in my life, so let's try again. You aren't the only one in this relationship that can sense deception."

"I do not know what you wish me to say, Kagome," he answered.

"I just want you to tell the truth. I want to know why you asked me."

He turned away. "I do not lie to you. You are the trickster here."

Kagome frowned and shook her head. "Now that's not fair. I did what was necessary to bring you back."

"I am aware of your intentions."

She sighed. This really was going nowhere. He didn't seem to be angry, but he wasn't an open book either. She wasn't going to get any real answers. "Fine," the hanyou said dejectedly. "I should go then."

_"Marriage is the ultimate show of love for many humans."_

"I will marry you." 

Spinning on her heel, she gave Sesshoumaru a wide-eyed stare. "You love me!" she accused right before clapping her hands over her mouth and blushing.

"Excuse me?" The snow-white brow arched yet again. "I don't recall saying anything of that nature."

Kagome let her hands drop as she smiled brilliantly. "You didn't have to. I kind of just figured it out on my own. I remembered something. You said you would marry me after I told you it could be the ultimate show of love among humans. It was clever, but you still can't hide that you appealed to my human side."

"You thought of this just now?" He watched as she nodded once and he scoffed lightly. "You can deduce anything if you look in the right place."

"You're not denying it, though." Her smile had melted into a coy smirk, something that Sesshoumaru found extremely attractive on her innocent face.

She had caught him. He had to admit that might have been his intention the entire time. Several thoughts went through his mind at once. He wished she was in a kimono again. He wished that he had told her before she had claimed his love for her own. He wished that he could think of a single coherent response to her unspoken question. "No," he finally said. "I am not denying it."

"You do love me then?" Her voice seemed to have lost all substance, like air. She hadn't really expected that answer.

He remained silent and unmoving.

Kagome took three steps forward, lifted herself onto her toes and kissed the taiyoukai deeply. Encircling his neck with her arms, she wrapped her hands in his silky hair. His hand found her waist and squeezed gently as she pulled away.

She remained close enough, pressing her forehead against his jawbone as he tried to formulate words for the second time in as many minutes. "I thought that you wished to hear me say it."

"Someday I do," she agreed, "but right now, it's not necessary. I think this way is best."

"Why?"

Kagome shrugged and grinned at him, dropping her head to his shoulder and playing with the fur on his tail. "It's time you had a mate, Sesshoumaru. Not just a girl whose position is difficult to define, at best. I don't think I can help you as a friend anymore. You need the Lady of the Western Lands, and the last time I checked, I'm up for the job." She watched as a cloud flickered across his expression. "What? Was there another answer you were looking for?"

He lifted his chin and looked away. "I have only one concern."

"Oh? And what's that?"

"Are you evil?"

She felt the resistance of his hand as she tried to pull away. "What? No! Why would you think that?" She stopped and sighed, realizing the answer to her own question. "I know why, but I really can't think of any way that I can prove to you that I'm not evil right now. And you know, that's really annoying how you keep saying that I can't be evil and yet I'm the first one you suspect when…" She trailed off when she noticed the smirk in the corners of his mouth. "You were teasing me?"

"Naturally." He threaded his claws through her hair. "But if you ever bring it up again, I will blame it upon that damned theory of Makoto's."

She smiled up at him. "So this is a good thing?"

"Have you ever seen a male that would turn such an intriguing female down?" he responded. "If you have, they are fools."

Kagome blushed and once again wrapped her arms around his neck. "Well, I don't have to worry about that anymore. I only have one male to intrigue from now on, right?"

"I would gut any male that presumes otherwise," he answered, a possessive growl behind his words. "You are my mate."

The hanyou smiled warmly, pulling him back down to her lips as she murmured, "Yes, yes I am."

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Kagome opened her eyes slowly and grinned at the taiyoukai. He was sitting up against the headboard, with a few papers on his lap. "Morning," she said, yawning.

"It is still night, actually," he commented, nodding towards the dark windows. "You were only asleep for a short time."

Pulling the covers around her body, she moved to sit up and winced as a pain shot down her spine. Placing a hand on the crook of her neck, Kagome found that it was still wet with blood. "When does this mating mark of yours stop bleeding?" she asked, holding up her red-stained fingers.

She could have sworn she saw a flash of a grin before he shrugged and looked back down at his papers. "It is drying already. In a few hours you can wash away the excess blood. By tomorrow, it will have scarred."

"I don't see why the male doesn't get marked, you know. Rather sexist if you ask me."

"Hmm. Take it up with a higher power, Kagome. I have no jurisdiction over it." He took another stack of papers from his bedside table and began to shuffle through them.

The hanyou stuck her tongue out at him, but nevertheless looped an arm around his bare stomach as she lay down beside him, resting her cheek on his chest. "You're a real jerk," she said, yawning again. "What are you reading?"

"And you're insufferable," he responded smoothly. "I am reviewing the latest reports of our supplies and weapon stores. I believe that we are prepared for battle, but I still hesitate to mobilize my troops. I fear that any battle away from the city will only be a distraction from the true target."

"The true target being the city itself?" she asked.

He nodded and set down the parchment. "Or you. We cannot forget that you were to be Amatsu's greatest asset."

Kagome shrugged. "I'm remaining with you, so that can't be much of a problem." She shot a sharp glance at him as he opened his mouth. "And forget trying to tell me that I'm staying in the city. I'm not letting you leave me here. I'm going with you come hell or high water, so get used to the idea. I have Tetsusaiga after all."

"You will not concede?" He didn't expect her to, really, but he was quickly developing a taste for her stubborn side.

"No," she replied with a self-satisfied smirk. "Besides, I could be _your_ greatest asset, if you let me. I know I can wield Tetsusaiga flawlessly."

"Hmm." Sesshoumaru gathered all of the remaining documents and put them to the side. "Just remember that I will be there. If you need assistance in any way, call for me. I will not allow a drop of your blood to be spilled."

Kagome held up her hand again, still stained with her blood, although it had dried. "You're really doing a good job of that."

He arched an eyebrow. "Clever. You know that was necessary."

She yawned and nodded. "I know. I can see that you're not going to let me get injured in battle," she answered. "Right now, I think I'm going to go back to sleep though. Do you mind? I'm still not entirely used to this. Although, brownie points to us for not yelling at each other as soon as I woke up."

Sesshoumaru felt a sharp stab of pain go through his heart as he recalled that incident, the morning after their pup had been conceived. He hoped it would never repeat itself, although her arm wrapped firmly around his torso was a good sign. "Unnecessary arguments are not recommended," he commented. "The court must believe that we are a single unit of power. They will not accept it if we are at each other's throats all of the time."

Kagome smirked. "Well then we might have a bit of damage control to do. I don't think our little spats will ever stop, you know."

"Hmm, probably, but it would be advisable to remain in private when we do so."

She settled back onto her pillow and closed her eyes. "Am I going to live in here from now on?"

"Yes. I will have Jaken move your belongings. Why?" he asked.

"Well, I could definitely get used to this bed. It feels like a cloud," she answered, stretching her arms out. She felt her hand brush up against what felt like scar tissue and her eyes opened, realizing that she had hit the remnant of his missing arm. "Oh, sorry."

He shrugged. "It did not harm me." He watched as she averted her eyes. "Does it bother you? That I am missing an arm?"

Her eyes sprang back to his. "No, of course not. I was there, remember? It never bothered me, but I already told you once that I worry about it. I wonder if it bothers you."

"I already told you that it doesn't," he responded. "It does not truly impair me in any manner."

Kagome smirked. "No, I know it doesn't." She sat up, winding the sheet around her body. "Will it ever come back though? I know demons have amazing regenerative powers."

"When it comes to organs and flesh, yes. But bone rarely regenerates completely. It will only repair any breaks or fractures. I apologize, but it will not return. You must survive with a crippled dog," he said without any emotion.

The hanyou frowned and reached around his shoulders, embracing him tightly. The damaged appendage was pressed against her body, but she didn't flinch. When she finally sat back, she was smiling warmly. "Don't you know that every female within Japan would like to be where I am right now? With or without your arm, they think you're gorgeous. So do I, incidentally."

"Something I have never understood," he admitted. "Most of the females in this court want my land and wealth, not me specifically."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "You're really oblivious sometimes. If you want to believe that, fine, but I'm still right. They just better back off now that we're mates. Some of them really are vicious, but I think I can still take them down." She lifted her chin in pride.

"Machi."

The hanyou turned her head. "What?" she asked with a displeased undertone.

Sesshoumaru shrugged and brushed his hair back with his claws. "I had forgotten about her, until you mentioned vicious females. She is still in the dungeon."

Kagome gave him a malicious grin. "Can't we just leave her down there for awhile longer?"

"No, unfortunately we cannot," he replied, effectively making the hanyou pout. "The acid demon tribe will soon hear of her imprisonment and demand that she is either punished or released. It is not permitted to leave an ambassador in prison."

"Fine. Let her out then. Send her away though. She attacked Nami and I'm sure she'd have no hesitation in attacking me."

"We shall see," he answered noncommittally as Kagome tucked herself in by his side once again. The stain of blood on her neck sprang out from her pale skin, a ring around the teeth marks he had created when he had bitten her a few hours previous. Leaning down, he began to lick away the blood.

Kagome's eyes sprang open as she giggled and pushed at his chest. "Hey! That tickles!"

He tilted his head like a puppy begging for a treat. A very serious puppy. "I was simply cleaning the wound. Would you prefer Jun to do it?"

"No, that's okay," she murmured, shifting closer to him again. She let out a little yelp as his tail curled around her calf underneath the covers. "That tickles too." Her voice was softening as her eyes began to grow dark with desire.

Sesshoumaru pressed his forehead against hers and pulled her flush against him with his arm. "Then I must do it again sometime," he said before kissing her deeply.

A few seconds later, a knock on the door forced Kagome to break away from her mate. "Oh, this better be good," she grumbled as she caught the scent of leather and metal from the doorway. It was a couple of the guards that frequently watched over Rin and Washi, that hadn't died in the explosion.

The taiyoukai appeared truly annoyed for a moment before turning back to her. "I left explicit instructions that I was not to be disturbed for any reason. They will leave."

Kagome dodged Sesshoumaru as he attempted to kiss her again. "I never thought I'd be the one that makes you pay attention to the logical side of things," she teased. "Don't you think that they know they're risking their lives by interrupting you, against your orders? It must be very important. At least check what they want."

Sesshoumaru rolled out of bed and put on his pants, tying it deftly with one hand. "Very well, but if it is an unwarranted interruption, I will kill them."

"Oh, don't do that," she answered as she leaned back into the pillows. "The blood would be such a pain to get out of the wood flooring."

"There are ways to kill without spilling blood," he commented as he opened one side of the double doors. He left it ajar as he padded down the short hallway to the main doors.

Kagome waited patiently, listening to the rise and fall of voices at the entrance of Sesshoumaru's rooms. Although she couldn't hear distinct words, she could tell that the taiyoukai was becoming increasingly frustrated and the guards were becoming increasingly terrified. She sat up when the door clicked closed and Sesshoumaru reappeared. He had an expression of weary annoyance. "What's wrong?" she asked as she began to search for her clothes among the sheets.

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes darkened in anger and although she knew it was not directed towards her, a cold shiver went down her spine. "One of my spies," he finally said, "came back with an urgent report."

She stopped searching for her clothes at the tone of his voice. Icy and vicious, like when they had first met. "Oh?" she asked weakly.

He took a long time to answer. The air seemed to not move as Kagome held her breath. "The South and East armies have joined forces with Amatsu's followers. They just crossed over the Western border. We're officially at war."

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A/N: I hope I didn't cross over into OOC-land with Sesshoumaru. I really tried desperately to keep him in character. But really… I think I could have him giggling and hopping around like a bunny and you guys would be happy after all that I put you through. Haha. Review responses time!

Review responses removed due to ban


	24. Requiem for Peace

The Broken Miko

Chapter 24: Requiem for Peace

He had taken away her power of speech. If it were any other situation, he would have smirked with a proud lift of the chin. But at the moment, he could barely bring himself to breathe, much less express actual emotion.

Turning away from his mate, Sesshoumaru left the shocked young girl in the bed and went to the next room, where his swords were kept. The statue of Bishamon sat silently, just as it had during his father's reign. "If there is a time for you to protect us," he snapped, "this would be it." The statue did not respond, and Sesshoumaru scoffed as he searched his personal armory.

"What are you looking for?"

The taiyoukai's head jerked up to see Kagome tying her yukata in the doorway. She would have to leave by the way she came, he realized. It wouldn't be appropriate for a leader to have mated the night an invading army came into his lands. It would be considered a bad omen, and although Sesshoumaru thought that sort of thing was beyond ridiculous, he didn't want to make his men more uncomfortable than they were already.

"Sesshoumaru?"

He blinked, realizing that he had been staring at her without answering her question. His golden eyes moved back to the wall, where a rack of daggers was hanging. These had been the weapons of the Ladies of the West and the children. He took the two newest ones, a curved blade with a carved jade handle that had belonged to his mother, and a longer straight blade with an etched steel hilt that had belonged to his father's brother in youth. The boy had died in childhood, when he had wandered from the castle without a weapon. His father had said that the incident had broken his grandfather's heart, bringing his life to an early end in battle. Sesshoumaru was damned if he would let that sort of emotion seep into his fight.

"You're scaring me, Sesshoumaru. Please talk to me." She walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, looking at the daggers in his hand. "Who are these for?"

"The children," he said finally.

Kagome frowned and shook her head. "You're not thinking that they're going out there with us, are you? I know that Rin always came with you in the past, but I think this is a little different."

"I am aware of that," he bit out, causing her to lift away her hand in surprise. He sighed and lowered his eyes for a brief moment. "They are leaving. I will not allow them to remain here in danger, but they must have something to protect themselves."

"Where are you sending them?" she asked softly, coming close again.

The hard gold eyes fixed upon hers. "All of the women and children of the city will be evacuated to the mountain. There is a sizeable cave there, but well hidden. They will be safe."

"I'm not leaving."

"I did not ask you to. You will remain with me, as will any of the women that feel they can fight. Unfortunately, many of them are in no condition to go onto the battlefield."

The hanyou crinkled her brow. "I'm confused, Sesshoumaru. We have plenty of time to go find these guys. Why are you acting like they're going to be at our door? Didn't you and Makoto find a field a ways away to have this battle?"

Sesshoumaru set his jaw for a moment to stop himself from driving the daggers into the wall, sheaths and all. "The scout reported that they are moving faster than any army has ever moved before. They will be at our door, as you say, by morning. There is no way to prepare my troops and march them out in that amount of time. We fight here." He turned to her and pressed the knives into her hands. "Take these to the children. The jade one goes to Rin. Evacuation of the city begins within the hour. They must be ready."

She was momentarily stunned by the news, but shook herself out of it quickly. After all, why should she be surprised if a god could move his army faster than normal? "Of course."

He nodded towards the door. "Exit by the window. Now is not the time to announce our mating." He looked pointedly at the mark that peeked out from beneath her collar. It was still angry and red, but clean. "Hide that."

Kagome knew better than to argue, instead bowing deeply to show her acquiescence. As she straightened up, she stepped close to him, so that their breath mingled. She traced one of the stripes on his cheek softly. "Don't forget that you're the Lord of the Western Lands," she whispered. "You will never fall. You're _forever_. I love you." He allowed her to give him a chaste kiss to his lips and then she turned from him.

"Tread carefully."

She looked back at him over her shoulder. "You too," she murmured before moving into the bedroom again.

Within moments, Kagome was out the window and down the side of the castle wall. Landing softly, she pulled up her collar and went in search of the children. Jun had released them the morning after the bombing with a clean bill of health, and Kagome had assigned nearly a battalion to guard them at all times. They were easily found, sitting in the hall where they ate their meals with a ring of sentries around the perimeter of the room.

"Hi, guys," she said, entering the room. "It's kind of late for you two to be up, isn't it?"

Rin shook her head. "Sesshoumaru-sama says that since I live in a demon city, I should keep demon hours." She yawned widely, showing her blunt teeth. "They don't sleep very much though. I guess I'm still not used to it even after all this time."

Kagome smiled gently. "Hmm, I see. Well, I have presents for you guys from Sesshoumaru."

Rin brightened and looked at the surprised Washi. "Really? Sesshoumaru-sama's presents are always nice. He gives me such pretty books."

The eagle demon arched an eyebrow and stared at Kagome for a moment, doing a very good impression of the taiyoukai. "I don't think it's a book this time, Rin. Mama looks worried."

Kagome bit her lip. "Well, perhaps, but it has nothing to do with you." She looked at the children, both of whom looked skeptical. "Don't worry about it. I'm here to give you presents after all." She pulled the two daggers from her sash and set them down on the table.

Rin dove for the jade dagger and pulled it out of its sheath. The blade was clean, reflecting the light of the lamps into her eyes. "Wow. Sesshoumaru-sama wants us to have these?"

"Of course. Why else would he tell me to give them to you?" She looked over at the boy, who was carefully studying the sheathed steel knife. "Is something wrong?" she asked as he frowned.

Washi set the blade back down on the table. "You're sending us away, aren't you?"

Kagome sat down across from him, her hands in her lap. "How did you know?"

He shrugged. "Sesshoumaru-sama doesn't give us real blades to practice with in the dojo. He must feel it's kind of necessary to give us these, and that would only be necessary if you and him aren't going to be around."

Rin's eyes widened and she grabbed the hanyou's hand. "You aren't going to die, are you?"

Kagome pressed a motherly kiss to the little girl's forehead. "Of course not. Sesshoumaru has Tenseiga remember? So don't worry. We're just going to put you guys in a safe place so we don't have to worry either, okay? That's all. Plenty of guards will be there with you." She smiled at both of them. "Go and pack, alright? A few changes of clothes, a couple blankets. That sort of thing."

"And the daggers," Washi said, looking at her with a piercing stare.

"Naturally." She swallowed hard, aware that the eagle boy's demon sense were telling him what Rin's human ones could not. He knew that she was terrified and that these daggers were not only for protection, but gifts to remember them by in case the worst happened.

They all stood up and the guards began to file out. Each child grabbed one of her hands as they walked down the hallways in silence. Kami-sama, she prayed, don't let them become orphans again.

She deposited them in their respective rooms, forcing herself to not sweep them in her arms and embrace them tightly. It would alarm them more than necessary and so she simply watched as they disappeared into their rooms with a sinking feeling in her heart.

"You will see them again before the sun rises," Sesshoumaru's deep voice reminded her.

Kagome turned around and smiled weakly at the taiyoukai. "Yeah, I know, but I feel like I'm wasting the time that I'm away from them." She took a deep breath and tried to banish her emotions. "Have you started the evacuation?"

He nodded once. "All women and children unable to fight will congregate in the city square shortly. Nami has volunteered to watch over them, although I would have preferred your leadership."

"Nami is excellent in tough situations, believe me. Everyone will be fine." She noticed that he was carrying a small bundle wrapped in paper. "What is that?"

He shook his head and guided her into her room. As the door closed behind them, he handed her the package. "This is what I had made during my absence," he said as she turned it over in her hands. He raised an eyebrow as she studied the bit of twine keeping it closed. "It belongs to you. You are permitted to open it."

She blushed. "It's just that it's your first gift. I want to enjoy it." She weighed it in her hands. "It's heavy."

"It is nothing special. Open it."

Kagome shrugged and sat down on her bed, untying the bow with a fluid motion. The paper fell apart, revealing a uniform of leather armor. At least, it appeared to be leather. On closer inspection, it was thinner than leather yet more structured and durable. She spread it out across the foot of the bed. It looked much like her ruined exterminator outfit, but without plates of tough armor over the knees, elbows or waist. "What is it?" she murmured, running her hands over the strange fabric. "I've never seen anything like this."

"Yes, you have, although not of this quality. It's dragon hide, the best armor available." He stepped closer as she sucked in a tiny breath. "Is it satisfactory?"

"Gorgeous," she said. "Did you kill the dragon?"

He nodded. "Totosai forged the armor though."

She arched an eyebrow. "Forged? It feels like leather, just a bit tougher."

"It is harder than steel and requires welding," he said. "It will protect you from all normal weapons."

She smiled at him. "So you knew the whole time that you were coming back."

"Naturally. I never leave my city for long."

"I see." Kagome ran her hands over it again, marveling at the workmanship. Totosai really outdid himself sometimes. On the right shoulder, a crescent moon was emblazoned into the hide, two stripes on either side. She looked up at her mate. "Why don't you wear dragon hide?"

Sesshoumaru gave her one of those piercing glares that still made her skin crawl. "Do you believe that I require such armor? I have the skill to _avoid_ weapons."

"And I don't?" she asked rather indignant.

"I would rather not take the chance, since you harbor not only your life, but that of our pup." He raised a white eyebrow. "I thought it was an appropriate gift, considering your enthusiasm over your new skills and the destruction of your slayer uniform."

She smiled. "Yeah, it's great. I just think that you could use some. I want you safe too."

Sesshoumaru smirked. "Undoubtedly. Change into the armor and meet me in the city square with the children. The evacuation will start when you get there."

"How many guards are going with them?" she asked.

The smirk dropped from his face. "I can only spare two hundred."

"Two hundred? That's barely enough to cover the lives of all the women and children in this city."

"It is not, but I cannot spare any more. This battle will use every resource we have, Kagome." He stepped close to her and lifted her chin with a clawed finger. "They will survive if we do. The cave will be stocked with enough food and water for a month. Do not fear for them. Meet me in the square as soon as possible."

He left and Kagome changed as quickly as she could figure out the complicated suit. It fit to her body like a glove, showing off every curve. She wondered why he had commissioned such a sexy suit of armor when he had been so disgusted by the way her slayer uniform had hugged her body. Then again, she realized that had been before they were mates. Now, he had every right to gut a male that looked at her the wrong way. Knowing him, he hoped for blood to be spilled over his mate. He could be so violent sometimes.

She tugged at the collar, which rose high on her neck, covering her mating mark. Pulling on the boots and fastening them behind her calf, Kagome felt like fortress. If nothing else, she would be safe from the common soldiers. Slipping Tetsusaiga underneath the midnight blue sash, she exited the room and crossed to the kid's rooms. "Come on guys, let's go," she called.

Rin and Washi both appeared within moments, lugging small satchels brimming with clothes and blankets. Their daggers were tucked into their belts and Rin was holding a small rag doll. They looked tired and nervous, but smiled anyway.

"Ready?" she asked.

The little ones nodded in unison. "Is that what Sesshoumaru-sama gave you?" asked Rin, reaching forward to brush her fingers over the dragon hide armor.

Kagome looked down, seeing that in the bright light of the hallway, iridescent scales had appeared in the body of the armor. "Yes. How did you know?"

The girl grinned. "Only Sesshoumaru-sama would give such a pretty gift."

"Well, I think it's best to not let him wait too long for us then." She took the packs from the kids and tossed them over her shoulder. "He wants to say goodbye before you leave."

"He said that?" asked Washi dubiously as they made their way into the main castle.

Kagome laughed. "No, but I know he wants to. He really cares about you two, even if he might not say it."

Rin beamed and skipped a few steps as Washi smiled. "Are you two mates now?" he asked.

The hanyou arched an eyebrow. "What makes you ask that?"

"Sometimes males give their new mates gifts. The rich ones give really rare, beautiful gifts so that when the females use them, everyone will know who she is mated to," he explained patiently.

Kagome shrugged, trying not to smile. "Humans do something like that too. Anyway, if you have to know, yes, Sesshoumaru and I are mates now. Don't go spreading it around though. Now is not the time for that sort of thing."

"Yes, Mama," he responded diligently.

Rin took her hand. "Does this mean… I mean…" She faltered and fell quiet.

The hanyou squeezed the girl's hand gently. "I'm going to talk to Sesshoumaru about adopting you two. Remember though, that our pup will be the heir and for awhile, after he or she is born, we'll be spending a lot of time with the baby. That doesn't mean I love you any less of course. You're all equal in my heart," she assured them, borrowing large parts of her speech from what her mother had said when pregnant with Sota. Her heart clenched a bit as she thought of her baby brother, but she pushed away the memory.

"We know," answered Rin, who was happily skipping again. Washi nodded in agreement.

"Good." She pushed open the door to the main part of the castle and stopped. "This is eerie," she murmured.

The hall that had been so busy, so chock full of demons just a few days beforehand was now empty. No guards remained and as they walked through and peeked in the open doors, no clerks remained to take documents and orders. Their footsteps echoed in the hallways as they made their way through the castle and out the front doors, where a single pair of guards stood.

In silence the three made their way down the hill and through the wrought iron gate that enclosed Sesshoumaru's personal property. Once in the main city, Kagome noticed a small trickle of demons rushing down to the center of the streets, where the shrine stood. She recognized them as stragglers, and urged the children forward.

Reaching the city square, Kagome had to force herself through the enormous congregation of a vast assortment of demons. Most of the males were already clad in their armor. Many of the females and children were crying, clutching at small bundles of clothes. A few were dripping in jewels and trying to look disdainful. Even they parted for her though, once they recognized the hanyou that had found favor in the taiyoukai's eyes.

She spotted Machi in the crowd, who gave her a saffron-colored glare. It appeared as if Sesshoumaru had even seen to her safety, something that irked her more than necessary. After all, he hadn't chosen her. She only hoped that Nami would keep a close eye on the venomous demon.

With the children trailed behind her, Kagome finally made it to the front of the crowd, where Sesshoumaru was waiting patiently on the steps of the shrine. At least, he looked patient. Kagome knew that in his mind, he was screaming in frustration at his predicament. She was sure that his father, or even his grandfather, had never had to evacuate the city. Just like Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru felt the shadow of his father looming over him.

She sighed, but smiled at him, wordlessly indicating that everything was ready.

Sesshoumaru held up his hand, silencing the dull roar of whispers and rumor swapping. "The guards are waiting at the front gates of the city with all of the supplies you will need. It is a short journey to your refuge, but do not leave it for any reason until one of my officers arrive to retrieve you. Give all deference to the guards and to Nami-san, who will coordinate all of your needs. If you cause any trouble, they will not hesitate to throw you out, regardless of your station." He took a breath. "Speak your farewells and go to the gates. The escort leaves shortly. Do not miss it."

Everyone began speaking again, embracing and kissing their loved ones. A few lonely demons slipped away to join the guards immediately. Nami approached them with Keitaro by her side and silently hugged Kagome, streaking tears across the hanyou's cheek.

"It'll be okay, Nami-chan," assured Kagome, pulling away. "You're supposed to be leading the others to safety."

The water demoness wiped at her eyes and smiled. "I will, but I'm also terrified. Everyone I care about is fighting this battle except me. I wish that I could be there with you."

Kagome shook her head. "You don't have any training, do you? The last thing we want is your death, Nami-chan. Please, don't worry about us."

Keitaro wrapped an arm around his love's waist. "She'll be okay," he said, kissing her temple. Nami leaned into him, smiling sadly.

Ruri approached, flanked by the wolf brothers. A long, thin katana was hanging by her side and she wore plated armor. "Everyone's starting to move towards the gates, Sesshoumaru-sama," she reported, bowing deeply.

"Don't tell me that you're fighting, Ruri-chan!" exclaimed Kagome.

The skunk youkai shrugged. "Of course. I have standing in this court because my mate was a high standing officer in the army, not because I am of noble blood. But I can fight and I do it well. Sen taught me himself." She smiled and wrapped her hand around the hilt of her sword. "This was his. It should avenge his death."

Kagome nodded. She understood the need for vengeance of a loved one. "And you two? You're staying?" she asked the wolf brothers.

The wolves grinned and nodded. "How can we leave our little sister alone on the battlefield? Koga would have skinned us alive for it," Ginta said.

Hakkaku lifted his chin. "Besides, I want to meet that monkey demon again. Pay him back for what he took from us." His eyes dropped to the ground. "I just hope that our tribe isn't with him. I can't kill them. I left to save them from this."

Ginta looked uneasily at his brother and gave the hanyou a wan smile. "Besides, that pretty gardener is fighting too. And those wolf sisters will definitely like us when we help save the West. I think they might like us already, but their father keeps muttering stuff around us. Maybe we'll be able to ask for his daughters when we get back." His blush made everyone, save Sesshoumaru, smile indulgently at the tufted-haired brother.

"How could he not love such amusing and brave wolves?" Kagome wondered aloud with a grin.

"Probably because they're the biggest pair of troublemakers in Japan," said Kagura as she approached. She flashed a wicked smile towards the wolf brothers and then surveyed the rest of the crowd. "My, we are all here, aren't we?"

"That's kind of the point of a city-wide evacuation, Kagura," responded the hanyou with a roll of her eyes.

"Hmm, well it's still a shame to lose all these beautiful males." She opened and closed her fan with a snap of her wrist.

"Kagura-san, the males are staying to fight," pointed out Nami.

The red-eyed demoness looked at the water youkai. "I know," she said smoothly, causing Nami's eyes to widen to the size of plates.

Kagome sighed at her friend's blunt answers and placed a hand on Sesshoumaru's forearm. "I think we're ready to go. Sticking around will just get everyone on edge. They're anxious."

"So are you," he observed as he felt her squeeze his arm tightly. "Calm yourself. Nothing will happen to the children. If anything does, the guards will die by my hand."

"You know, one day that threat is going to wear out and no one will fear you," Kagome warned.

He shook his head. "Never. Unlike others who threaten death, I follow through."

The hanyou laughed softly. "We're going to have to work on your people skills if you expect to live until the twenty-first century."

Sesshoumaru scowled at her, but chose to not dignify her with a verbal answer. Instead, he looked over the top of her head at Nami, who was crying silently on Keitaro's shoulder. The celestial demon looked vaguely clueless how to stem the flow of tears. "Nami-san," said the taiyoukai, drawing the water demon's attention. "You must begin to lead everyone to the cave."

Nami quickly wiped the tears away and bowed to Sesshoumaru. "Of course, my lord. I shall gather everyone remaining in the square." She moved to leave and then faltered, casting a glance at Keitaro. "May farewells be said at the gate?"

The taiyoukai began to roll his eyes, but received a sharp elbow in the stomach. "Was that your attempt to injure me?" he said, glaring down at the perpetrator.

"Oh shut up," responded Kagome sweetly. "Of course you can say good-bye at the gate, Nami-chan. We'll meet you there. Take Keitaro with you as you gather everyone. Two people are better than one, after all."

As the pair drifted away, arms entwined, Sesshoumaru sniffed in disgust. "They are naïve. It is likely that he will die. She is only delaying the inevitable."

"I hope that's not your inspirational speech to the troops right there. 'Give up, you're going to croak.' It's hardly, well, inspirational," Kagome said, her brow crinkled in annoyance. "Are you going to tell me that you're going to die too? Or am I going to die?"

He lifted his chin. "We will not die. I will not allow it."

Kagome scowled at him and took the children's hands in hers. "I'm going to the gate now. Join us when you won't scare your subjects half to death." She threw him another nasty glance and stalked away with the rather surprised children in tow.

Sesshoumaru looked at Ruri, Kagura and the wolves with a raised eyebrow, silently asking them what had irked his mate so much. Ruri shrugged in response. "She doesn't like hearing that sort of talk, my lord," she said. "She fears the deaths of her family and friends more than anything. After all, she has already lost everything once. I don't know if she could survive it again. Forgive me, my lord, but I suggest that when it comes to such grave matters, you might not want to tell the complete truth."

The taiyoukai hesitated but nodded once. He would not allow his usual acceptance of death to influence his discussions with his pregnant mate. Although he highly doubted that her emotions were so frail as Ruri believed, he knew that expectant mothers tended to have erratic emotions. And they were usually directed towards the father. Even if he didn't fear death, Sesshoumaru was not a masochist.

The five demons walked to the gate as Kagura and Ruri discussed the finer points of using demonic powers to kill lesser youkai. Sesshoumaru listened in interest as they described their stealth techniques and made a mental note to employ more females in his espionage unit.

Kagome was waiting at the city gate with the children and a few hundred silent youkai. She turned her head from him and looked out across the field in front of the city. Soon, it would be littered with bodies and blood. "Tell me that you'll do anything to make sure they live," she whispered as he stood by her side.

"I will do what Tenseiga allows me to do," he responded.

She nodded. That was as good as she would get from the taiyoukai.

Sesshoumaru gave a stern glance to the children. "I presume that Kagome told you what is required of you while you are away from the castle." He watched as their heads bobbed in recognition. "Good. I will come to retrieve you when the battle is over."

The children launched themselves at his waist, wrapping him in an enormous hug. "Please be okay, Sesshoumaru-sama," whispered Rin.

"Take care of Mama," added Washi as he pulled away.

Sesshoumaru inclined his head in agreement as Kagome leaned down to embrace the children one final time. "They must go," he said finally, after watching her practically squeeze the breath out of them.

Nami was calling for the attention of all the demons. The guards were surrounding the group in a protective wall. It really was time for them to leave. Even Keitaro was standing back, watching his future mate with a fond, sad expression.

Rin and Washi smiled at her and Sesshoumaru and scampered off to Nami's side. The water demoness took their hands and the sentries began to march, their circle of protection forcing the evacuated youkai to move with them, despite their obvious reluctance. And although Kagome had always believed that few demons could cry without losing their reputation, she heard tears fall down their cheeks and onto the ground, splattering on the grass.

She found Sesshoumaru's elbow and wrapped her arm around it, watching as the crowd moved farther and farther away. "This means that they're really coming. I've never been in a war before."

"You warred against Naraku," argued the taiyoukai.

Kagome shook her head. "I fought him. It's not really a war unless each side has an army."

He expected to feel fear radiating off of her, but as the children disappeared from view, the taiyoukai found that her fear was evaporating. "You find the thought of battle exhilarating," he observed in surprise.

She laughed softly. "No, not really. It's terrifying, but I think that my body is worn out with being afraid. If I experience any more fear, my heart might as well stop right now."

Her heart was beating rapidly all of a sudden as she spoke of it. The taiyoukai looked down upon his mate. "Are you well?" he inquired softly.

Kagome nodded and smiled up at him. "I was just thinking that maybe you were right. Maybe we shouldn't be so naïve. Some of us are bound to die. Tenseiga won't bring them all back. Or perhaps not even me, if I die." She felt his muscles tense and patted his forearm. "Don't worry. I don't plan to die. Are you finished with your preparations?"

"There is always more to do," he answered, "but the important parts have been done or have been delegated to my generals. Why?"

She shook her head and blushed. "Never mind. It's a ridiculous whim of a pregnant girl."

Sesshoumaru glanced around, and seeing that everyone had gone back through the city gates, he leaned over her. "It is my obligation to ensure your happiness. Tell me what you wish."

Kagome looked up at the luminous moon. "It's almost full," she whispered, changing the subject.

He had forgotten. Soon she would be human and then she would be vulnerable. Sesshoumaru felt like locking her in his deepest dungeon again, but he knew that that wouldn't stop Amatsu. The god had been in her mind. He knew about her night of weakness. "Yes," was the only reply he could manage.

"If they come when I'm human, I'll die."

"You said that you did not plan to perish. Were you lying again?"

Kagome tightened her arm around his. "No, of course not. It was merely an observation. I know I got upset earlier when you were talking about death, but now that the kids are safe, I'm starting to realize just how practical you were being."

"You change your mind very quickly."

"I adjust quickly," she corrected, "in most cases at least."

Sesshoumaru scowled at the nearly full moon. "I will not let you die."

"You keep saying that," Kagome answered with a sigh. "This is the reason I wanted to wait to become your mate. I don't want you to endanger yourself or others for my sake."

He decided not to answer this. He would not promise that his life would not be traded for hers. After all, that was what a proper mate would do. Instead, the taiyoukai returned to the former subject. "What was your wish?"

She blushed again and it spread beneath her dragon armor. "It's so stupid, but if we're really going to battle tomorrow, I want to live like tonight is my last night on earth." She heard his soft growl growing in his chest and held up her free hand. "Just as a precaution, Sesshoumaru. I didn't do it last time I was faced with death and I regret it."

"What would you have done?" he asked.

Kagome shrugged. "I would have spent time with my friends and Inuyasha. Simple stuff, but important." She looked up at his raised eyebrow. "See? It's stupid."

He nodded. "It's ridiculous and human," he said as he watched her head and frown. "I am willing, however, to spend my remaining time with you."

"Really?" she asked, turning back to look at his impassive face. "That doesn't sound like you."

"You are my mate," he said in the way of an explanation. A slight frown turned down the corners of his lips. "And if I return, my generals will pester me with their trivialities. It is not how I want to spend my final night."

Kagome grinned and, facing him, looped her arms around his midsection. "Not when you have me?" she asked coyly.

He arched an eyebrow. "I suppose not," he conceded with a lofty tone.

"Admit it," she accused, "you're just a big softie at heart."

He glared at her, prying her arms off as she giggled. "Never."

Kagome continued to laugh for a few more moments, finally sobering. "I'm sorry. You are a terrifying demon with no heart at all, if you prefer."

Sesshoumaru mentally sighed. He doubted that she would ever see him as a demon lord again. It didn't bother him very much, as long as she didn't speak to anyone else about how much he indulged her. "What do you wish to do tonight?"

"I want to feel like a normal girl," she answered with another blush.

He stared at her for a moment. "I do not understand."

"I want to forget all of this," she said, spreading her arms. "I want to forget that I'm a time-travelling, half-demon, former human who is carrying the child of a demon lord that would sooner have ripped my throat out than looked at me just a few months ago. I just want to feel like a normal, human girl out on a walk with her… well, strange looking boyfriend, I guess would be the best way to put it."

Sesshoumaru frowned slightly. "I am strange looking?"

Kagome laughed a bit behind her hand. "Well, to a human you would be. We're going to have to do something about your hair and your markings as time passes. And I have no idea about the tail." She reached up and brushed her fingertips along his marked cheekbone. "I don't suppose they're tattoos? Some sort of family ritual thing?"

He shook his head. "I was born with them. Our pup may have them as well."

"I would like that," she mused softly. "They're odd, but they're beautiful. You're certainly unique, Sesshoumaru. Although I think we could dye your hair, change your eye color and remove the markings and you'd still scare the hell out of some people."

The taiyoukai smirked in pride. "Then we shall be quite successful in the future, if humans are so easily intimidated."

Kagome rolled her eyes, but took his hand in hers anyway. "So, that's okay? We'll try to act like a normal couple for a few hours? No talk about the war or gods or demon customs, agreed?"

Sesshoumaru allowed her to pull him gently towards the forest as he nodded his assent in silence.

"Great," she said, beaming at him. "Of course, that cuts down considerably on what we have in common right now."

The dog demon mused for a few silent moments. "Do humans speak of their homelands?" he asked.

She laughed softly and nodded. "Of course. It's more a first date sort of thing, but I guess you should know about my home."

'First date' confused him, but Sesshoumaru assumed it was a human ritual and moved on. "Then speak of it. Tell me how it differs from this place."

Kagome frowned in concentration as they moved into the forest. "It's hard to explain. Nothing here really compares to it." Her ears twitched as she looked at the patient taiyoukai. "Well, first of all, there aren't any forests where I live, in a city called Tokyo. There are parks, where we're not allowed to disturb nature, but they're enclosed and there aren't a lot of them in the city."

"Tokyo is larger than my city?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah. It's enormous. I haven't even been to every place in it and I lived there all of my life. I think the last count came up with about twelve million people."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened. "Impossible. You must be mistaken."

Her brown eyes flashed up at him. "I don't think so. Twelve million. That's only a fraction of Japan's entire population too." She noticed that he still appeared shocked and so she continued. "A lot of people live in huge buildings, much taller than your castle. Floors and floors of apartments in these huge metal and stone buildings save a lot of room. And then there are hundreds of businesses in more buildings. And churches and schools and hospitals. It's quite amazing actually."

The taiyoukai frowned slightly. "The dominance of the humans will be much more difficult than I previously thought, if there are so many of them."

Kagome sighed and rubbed her temples. "We're kind of moving into abnormal territory there, Sesshoumaru. Besides, you can't just declare war on the humans. Japan can defend itself and it has many powerful allies too. If you want power in my home, you'll need money. Lots of it."

"I have plenty of gold in my treasury," he stated with confidence.

She gave him a pitying smile. "And soon, you'll learn what 'inflation' means in economics. Trust me, the gold isn't enough, although it will help considerably. Stop worrying about it. We'll figure it out. There's lots of opportunities for prestige and power in my time."

"What about other lands?"

The hanyou shrugged. "I've never been anywhere but Japan. You hear things, but I don't know if you can believe it." She winked at him. "Of course, you could always take me on a trip around the world and you can find out yourself."

"Hmm, we shall see."

They fell into a comfortable silence as they walked deeper into the forest. Trees closed in around them and Kagome was thankful that Sesshoumaru was beside her. It would be scary if she was out alone, but as it was, with her new mate walking with her, it was rather romantic. It seemed as if they would never get to this point, when they could be together without anger, guilt or jealousy. Yet, she couldn't resist the question that came to the tip of her tongue. "Will you have consorts, Sesshoumaru?"

The taiyoukai glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "I thought that we were not discussing demon traditions tonight."

"I'll suspend that stipulation for the moment." Kagome bit her lip and lowered her gaze. "It's a tradition then? To have consorts for the lord of the castle? Will you do that?"

The sadistic part of him twitched within his chest, begging to string along the hanyou for a bit. Quickly taming the urge to be cruel to the female that was now his mate, Sesshoumaru shook his white head. "Many lords keep consorts, frequently when they no desire to be in their mates' beds. The children of the consorts are not legitimate. Consorts are only there for the sexual gratifica…"

"Thanks," Kagome interrupted with a grimace. "I know what consorts are used for."

He gave her a severe glare. "As I was saying, consorts serve a purpose that Western lords have had no need for in centuries. My grandfather loved my grandmother and my father loved his second mate. Kaori commanded enough respect that he did not need any other female." He looked away from her. "I trust that you will not force me to break my family's tradition."

Her hand shot out and wrapped around the bone core of Sesshoumaru's tail, bringing his attention back to her face. She was grinning wickedly as she tugged the appendage from his shoulder. "As long as you do that thing with your tail, I won't leave you in the cold."

Arching an eyebrow, Sesshoumaru tried to tug his tail from her grasp, but she refused to relinquish it. "This is hardly the time…" His eyes widened imperceptibly as Kagome brushed her free hand the wrong way across his fur. A cold shiver ran down his spine and the hanyou yelped as he forcefully pulled his tail from her hands and snapped it around her waist, pulling her close. His one hand buried itself in her hair as he began to kiss her with fervor. Kagome sighed against his mouth and relaxed into him.

Too quickly, he pulled away and began to sniff the air. Kagome put her hand to her slightly bruised lips, still tingling. "What's wrong?" she asked, watching anger replace the desire in his eyes. "Are we being interrupted _again?_"

"Hush," he snapped quietly.

Kagome frowned, but began to pick apart the smells of the forest anyway. It was hard to get past the scent of desire in the air and she soon gave up, resting her head against his armored chest instead.

A branch cracked in the distance, causing the hanyou's ears to swivel to meet the sound. Sesshoumaru removed his tail from her waist and gently pulled himself from her warm body. "Do not move," he whispered, the breath tickling the fine hairs on her ears.

She nodded silently as he moved away, making no sound with his lithe form. He disappeared quickly as the darkness swallowed him whole. For many long minutes, Kagome stood still, watching the spot where he had vanished without blinking. When her eyes began to water, she had to blink furiously.

Wiping the salty liquid from her eyes, Kagome felt the air around her shift and suddenly Sesshoumaru stood beside her again. "What was it?" she asked, her vision still blurry.

He lifted his arm to reveal a bleeding demon head. Its pale pink skin still gleamed with sweat, as its mouth hung open in a silent scream. "A scout," murmured Sesshoumaru. "Probably not the only one. They will notice his absence soon. We must return to the castle."

Kagome wrinkled her nose, but nodded her assent. "Let's go," she agreed. "Just get rid of that vile thing."

The taiyoukai threw aside the dripping head, picked up the girl with his arm and tail without a word and jumped through the treetops into the night air.

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A/N: Hope you all enjoyed it. (If you didn't – keep in mind that I'm suffering from sleep deprivation right now…haha.) I planned out the remaining chapters and lengthened it, since many people expressed their disappointment with the story ending. So instead of about 3 more chapters, I'll write 6, including an epilogue. And soon, exams will be over – meaning I can write more often! Anyway, onto review responses:

Review responses removed due to ban


	25. Battle

The Broken Miko

Chapter 25: Battle

Kagome stood upon the parapets in the early dawn hours, as the sky was beginning to turn pink along the horizon. All around her, soldiers ran back and forth, relaying orders and reassuring themselves that everything was going according to plan. Within the city, thirty feet below her, the army was congregating to march out to meet the god's troops. Morale was surprisingly high, but they were nervous. She could smell it. The West had not been in a war this large since the days of Sesshoumaru's ancestors.

In the far distance, she could see the curling of smoke. The enemy was burning every village they came in contact with, human or demon. They were getting closer by the minute. Soon they would be pouring over the hills, covering them in a black mass of bodies. Silently, she mourned the loss of so many lives and the destruction of the Japanese countryside.

"Three hundred and fifty thousand demons," murmured a rich voice beside her. "And yet I fear it is not enough."

The hanyou turned to look at Makoto and nodded. "Me too. I wish that Sesshoumaru had had the time to bring the remaining four hundred thousand back." She noticed the celestial youkai appeared very tired, far different than his usual jovial demeanor. "Are you alright, Makoto-sama?"

"Of course, my dear," he answered quickly, waving aside her question. "I am simply concerned. The enemy has half a million soldiers, possibly more. Our scout didn't live long enough to explain what he had seen."

"Oh my," muttered Kagome. She plastered a smile on her face. "But we don't have to worry, do we? I mean, we have you and Sesshoumaru. Right?"

Makoto nodded solemnly. "And we have you, my girl. We cannot forget your talent."

She looked over at him with a sad smile. In two nights, her talent wouldn't amount to a hill of beans. "Yeah. I'll have Tetsusaiga of course," she said with a soft sigh.

The celestial never looked so old to her at that moment, as he rested his hands upon the outer wall and peered out over the fields. She had forgotten how ancient he really was. Sesshoumaru had told her about the plot to kill him in his own home. It was terrifying to consider that such a venerable youkai could be helpless to stop his own death except by fleeing his territory. The idea that Sesshoumaru could one day be the same scared her more than words could express.

"We'll survive," Kagome said, more to herself than Makoto.

He straightened up and looked her in the eye. "Of course. I only hope that our kingdoms will survive as well."

The hanyou frowned slightly. "I don't really care for this serious side of you, Makoto-sama. It rather depresses me."

He gave her an indulgent smile. "I apologize, my dear. I simply cannot shake these dark feelings about this battle. I would have preferred to fight far from the city, in the location that Sesshoumaru and I had chosen."

"I don't think Amatsu wants us to be comfortable," replied the hanyou darkly. "He wants us to suffer."

"He is succeeding in his endeavor."

Kagome shook her head, trying to clear the cobwebs in her brain. "I just wish I could remember something, anything, that would help us. I spent two days connected to a god and I can't recall anything except in snips and bits. And those just raise more questions."

Makoto nodded once with a contemplative frown. "We're so rarely in the dark in such times. Each side has so many spies that the word 'friend' is almost laughable. No one is trusted completely and yet by the time the battle begins, everyone knows everything. In this case, we can only be sure that Amatsu knows all about us."

"But we know nothing about him," Kagome finished for him, sighing heavily.

"We will," murmured Makoto. "War reveals every secret."

His tone made her raise an eyebrow. "Sesshoumaru still is keeping secrets from me, isn't he?" she asked passively.

"We all have secrets," the celestial answered with a shrug.

The hanyou wrapped her arms around her abdomen. "I don't care," she stated after a moment. "He could tell me that he's slaughtered entire villages. In fact, he probably has. I would still love him. I know he sees humans as inferior, but he cares for Rin and for me. And I always believed that he cared for his brother more than he says."

Makoto nodded solemnly. "I do not doubt that, my girl. I have known the boy for centuries and yet I believe that you have a clearer picture of his mind and heart than I could ever have."

"He'll protect me with his life," Kagome said, sadness seeping into her voice.

"Of course. A male will do anything for his mate," the celestial answered. He gave her a wry smile as her eyes widened. "He told me a short time ago. I will congratulate you when we live through this battle. Until then, it would be bad luck."

"I wouldn't think of you as the type to believe in luck, Makoto-sama," she said, smiling.

He shook his great head. "Normally, I'm not. However, I do not wish to tempt the gods into proving me wrong, Lady Kagome."

Her smile broadened. "Lady Kagome. Hmm, I could get used to that."

"Your child will be a prince or a princess," Makoto pointed out. He seemed thankful to speak about easier, lighter subjects.

She raised an eyebrow. "Prince? But Sesshoumaru is only a lord."

The celestial shrugged. "Tradition. The clans who formed the Four Lands were lords because before them, the territories were too small to be considered true kingdoms. They kept their titles of lords when they ascended to their thrones, but technically they, and their descendents, are kings. You are a queen, Kagome-sama. Didn't Sesshoumaru tell you?"

Kagome began to laugh, causing the celestial raise in eyebrow in surprise. As tears filled her eyes, the hanyou finally straightened up. "I'm sorry," she said, her laughter finally subsiding. "I just find it extremely amusing that _Sesshoumaru_ was modest about his true position. Him being modest… wow."

Makoto smiled and began to chuckle. "I admit it's quite out of character. Perhaps he has forgotten. Most of us have, although it causes considerable confusion when you mix up the true lords of the individual clans with the lords of the territories."

She placed her hands upon her abdomen yet again. "A prince. Or a princess. That sounds so romantic. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a princess. I guess I skipped that step though."

"A queen is considerably more regal. A queen puts others ahead of herself. Princesses can afford to be a bit more selfish." The celestial's wings rustled. "You will be an excellent queen, my lady, and you will raise any princess to be an excellent queen after you."

"You're just a big flatterer, aren't you?" laughed the hanyou.

"Probably, yes," agreed Makoto. "You disliked it when I was serious."

Kagome sighed and leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms. "It's alright. I probably don't conceive of how crucial this whole thing is. I know nothing of politics or land control." She smiled weakly at him. "It's pretty much boiled down to 'Sesshoumaru good, Amatsu bad'."

"It's a good starting point," observed the youkai.

A moment of comfortable silence passed before a long, high trumpet blast began to ring in the air. Kagome's ears flattened against her head. "What was that?"

Makoto peered over the inner wall into the city. "The army is finally consolidating. They will march out soon," he said, watching thousands upon thousands of demons gather in the streets of the city. They quickly fell into line and rank, faster than any human army. "I must go, my dear. My generals don't need an old man like me, but they haven't managed to completely shake me yet." He laughed, nodded his goodbye and lifted himself into the air with a beat of his large wings.

Kagome watched as he floated like a rather round angel down to the ground. Among the throng of dark-clad soldiers, she easily spotted the silvery white form of her mate. He stalked through the rows of demons, stopping once in awhile to bark an order.

Even from her great distance, she could see when he turned his head to look up at her. His golden eyes seemed to gleam, telling her to join him. She leapt off of the wall with feline grace and landed in the street below, taking several minutes to wind through the army to reach her mate. The soldiers were silent and still all around her. They filled every inch of the streets and she was reminded of the clay warriors that Urasue had created.

She finally stood beside Sesshoumaru, who was staring down a young officer. He spared her a glance by way of greeting and quickly turned back the demon. "The archery units will release the ordered volleys and then retreat to the walls of the city. We cannot afford to leave it unprotected."

"My lord," the youkai nearly whined, "I simply was trying to explain the difficulties of gathering so many companies of archers. They will want to stay."

Kagome could feel the heat of Sesshoumaru's anger radiated off of him, although his words were calm. "You are their commanding officer. If you cannot properly restrain them, I will gladly replace you."

The officer made a strangled noise and shook his head vigorously. "No need for that, my lord, I assure you. I will instruct my men accordingly." He turned and scampered off.

"Why is it that I always find you intimidating some young, impressionable lieutenant or whatnot?" Kagome murmured as the taiyoukai finally turned to face her. "I don't imagine that your generals are so easily quailed. You hate weakness."

"He will grow stronger," said the dog demon, brushing it off. "They all do."

"And those that don't?" she asked as they began to move again through the columns of youkai.

He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "They die in battle quite early on, without the need of my interference."

"Pleasant." She looked up as the great doors to the city began to swing open. "We're going out now? So soon? Is the other army here already?"

"They will be," he said as another trumpet blast echoed through the morning air. Around them, the army began to march out as a single unit. Their simultaneous steps made the ground shake and the sounds of armor and weaponry rubbing against each other forced Kagome to put her ears flat again. Sesshoumaru looked at her for a moment. "You will become used to the noise quickly. Battle creates much more noise than this."

Kagome grimaced. "Well, I guess I expected as much."

The taiyoukai wrapped his hand around her wrist. "I will not leave your side. The armor only protects against normal weapons and attacks. Do not throw yourself in harm's way."

"Because, you know, I was really hoping to do just that," the hanyou quipped. A sharp glance from her mate wiped the smirk off of her lips. "We've talked about this. I'll be fine. I fight well. I just want you to remember that. Don't get distracted."

He released her arm slowly. "I will do what is necessary to ensure our survival."

She sighed softly. This was an argument that she could not win.

Soon they were outside the city, waiting for the army to line up and looking at the horizon for Amatsu's imminent arrival. Sesshoumaru beckoned to a cluster of officers and then turned to Kagome. "I must confer with my generals. You do not have to accompany me, if you do not wish it." He glanced over her head to the masses of soldiers congregated behind her. "Find Kagura, Ruri and the wolves."

The hanyou arched an eyebrow. "You want me to find my friends? Why?"

"The chances of your survival are greatest when friends are there to help," he said with an impatient wave of his hand. "Normally, I do not advocate such emotion on the battlefield, but I will make an exception. I believe it will help, not hinder, your performance on the battlefield. You will be safe."

"Especially with Kagura around," said Kagome with a smile. "She's never encountered a situation that she couldn't worm her way out of."

"And you will accompany her if the need arises," commented the taiyoukai sternly.

She wanted to kiss him, loop her arms around his neck and embrace him to show how much she appreciated his concern, even if it was a bit over the top. But she knew that he wouldn't care for such a scene, and so she could only smile and brush her fingertips over the back of his hand. "I'll go find them."

The rumbling of war drums in the distance caused Sesshoumaru to lift his head and frown. "I would make haste. They are almost upon us." He turned and walked over to his officers, leaving Kagome to her own devices.

It was an easy to find Kagura. She was ignoring all protocol and wandering through the rank and file, winking seductively at the more attractive soldiers. "So, the great Sesshoumaru wants help protecting his female?" she teased when Kagome approached and told the witch of the taiyoukai's request.

"I wouldn't say that around him if you want to live a long, healthy life," countered Kagome with a smile.

Kagura glanced around with a predatory grin. "I could die quite happily after a night with some of these males."

The hanyou laughed and rolled her eyes. "You never stop, do you?"

"Naraku kept me on a very short leash," responded the wind witch with a shrug. "I am simply enjoying my freedom until I find a suitable mate. Then I will make that male very happy for a long time and provide him with many heirs."

Kagome smiled and linked elbows with the sorceress. "Well, I'm sure that he will be envied by every single male in the city. And a few mated ones too." She laughed, but stopped short as the war drums began to beat again. They were closer this time, almost loud enough to vibrate through the earth. "We have to find the others," she said, now serious, garnering a nod of agreement from the witch.

They met up again minutes later, with Ruri and the wolves in tow, just in time to see Amatsu's first line crest over the horizon. Large bulky forms of giants were intermingled with flying youkai and smaller, more agile demons on the ground. They spread across the field, covering every inch, causing Ruri to gasp. "There must be a million of them," she whispered to Kagome. "How did he get so many?"

"He's a god," the hanyou murmured back. "We're probably lucky it's only a million."

Kagura's red eyes flashed as she searched the blackened figures against the morning sky. "Three to one odds. I've had worse. We'll be okay."

The hanyou nodded, although she didn't feel near as confident as the wind witch sounded. She felt a tug on her heart and her eyes snapped to an unimpressive figure on the left side of the opposing force's line. Even against the sky, among all of the black forms, she could see the gray mistiness of his cloak and the splashes of red on either side of him. "There," she said, attracting Sesshoumaru and Makoto's attention. "I see him on the front line."

"What is he waiting for?" the celestial youkai asked, crinkling his brow. "He wouldn't want us to rest any further, I'm certain."

Kagome frowned. "No. He's taunting us. He wants us to sweat."

Makoto scowled in Amatsu's direction. "And why wouldn't we? He has the advantage in number and this terrain affords us nothing in way of trickery. We're not even that much uphill from them, just a gentle slope."

"He can't possibly think we're going to attack first," commented Ginta in an awed tone.

Sesshoumaru shook his head, a growl coming from deep within his chest. "To leave a defensive position would be suicide. I cannot imagine what he is thinking."

His unspoken question was answered quickly as a war cry sounded from the South and East armies and they began to rush forward. Swords were suddenly gleaming in the sun and the sound of thousands of bowstrings snapping filled the air, just before a thick cloud of arrows came rushing towards them. The West and North armies moved in unison to hold up strong shields, to protect themselves like a turtle shell.

Kagome held up an arm to guard her eyes from the barbed heads of the arrows and drew Tetsusaiga in one smooth motion. Beside her, Sesshoumaru called forth his own archers' volley. Unlike the archers of Amatsu's army, many of their shots hit true, mowing down much of the first line coming towards them.

Another two volleys were exchanged as more soldiers of the South and East came up the slope to meet them. Sesshoumaru ordered the archers to fall back to the city walls then and drew Tokijin. It crackled with its sinister energy, sending a shiver down the hanyou's spine.

"Ready?"

The one word drew her attention and she flashed a fast, reassuring smile at her mate. "Always," she replied, before lifting the heavy blade of Tetsusaiga. She stepped forward, apart from the entire combined Western and Northern forces and pointed the blade at the incoming demons. Quicker than she had expected the Wind Scar appeared and she sliced through it, destroying a hundred of the enemy.

A cry of gratitude sounded behind her and Kagome smiled to herself, once again finding the Scar and using it to cut through another section of soldiers. She heard Sesshoumaru call her name and she fell back again.

"Now, we fight together."

She nodded and waited for his general call to attack, which came only seconds later. Suddenly, thousands of Western soldiers and their celestial allies were rushing down the slope, slashing with swords and claws at the opposite army. It was overwhelming and she quickly became lost in the fray, slicing at any creature that didn't wear the colors of the West or North.

"Kagome!" Kagura was beside her, making grand sweeps with her fan and sending waves of blades towards the enemy. "I can't do this for long. Ours are getting mixed with their males so quickly!" she yelled over the clamor of battle.

The hanyou only nodded, remaining back to back with the wind witch and disintegrating any demon that came within a few feet of her. She could see Sesshoumaru's white hair moving through the mob, an arc of light continuously appearing above his head like a halo. She knew that it was Tokijin slaughtering dozens of youkai at a time, but she still thought he looked like an angel among what was quickly becoming carnage.

It wasn't difficult at first. Kagome had uninteresting conflicts with several minor youkai. Their blows, the few that they landed, glanced off of her armor and she would slice them in half as they gazed at her with surprise. Fifteen minutes into the bloody battle, she thought she had killed an officer, but even that was uneventful. It was as if the god wasn't trying. The blood of the enemy was running down the hill in rivulets of red. It should have been more difficult than this, she thought, as she killed another insipid youkai with a single blow from Tetsusaiga. This wasn't the true battle. She couldn't even feel Amatsu within the fight. He was only observing with no personal involvement. She knew that Inuyasha and Kikyo were standing quietly beside him, no weapons drawn.

Another tug on her heart made Kagome lose her breath. _Now_ the god was involved.

"Sesshoumaru!" she called. A flash of light sprang out from the crowd as the taiyoukai cut through to get to her side.

He appeared annoyed that she wasn't in danger. "What is it?"

"They're coming." She moaned and clutched at her chest, almost letting Tetsusaiga slip from her fingers.

The dog demon impatiently swatted aside a few more youkai with his poison claws, not even bothering to lift Tokijin. "Who?" His voice had concern in it with the second question.

She swallowed hard, trying not to throw up as a wave of ice slid up her back and into her mind. "The shadows. The ghosts. Whatever the hell they are," she choked out, looking up to his face. The taiyoukai was visibly paling. He remembered the last time they had encountered the shadow creatures, when not even Tokijin could affect them and when he became so weakened. "This is just a distraction."

They looked up in unison in time to see a dark cloud wash in from the forest to their far right. So many shadows that Kagome couldn't even differentiate one from another. The frigid cold began to make her shake. Next to her, both Kagura and Sesshoumaru let out small sighs, as if they'd been hit in the stomach.

Laughing filled her head and Kagome flattened her ears against her skull. "Get out of my mind!" she screamed, startling the youkai on either side of her.

Kagura gave Sesshoumaru a pained look, but he could only shake his head. "We have to see how the army fares against the shadows. We cannot give up yet."

The hanyou looked up at him in terror, but said nothing. She couldn't trust herself to open her mouth without throwing up from the nausea that churned her stomach. Instead she lifted the blade of Tetsusaiga once more and strode forward into the battle, intending to meet the shadow creatures head on, despite the continuing laughter in her mind. Kagura and Sesshoumaru followed, reluctant to leave the hanyou alone.

The shadows had seeped into the battle and now the air was beginning to fill with the screams of the dying and the weakened. Demons even untouched by the creatures began to fall to their knees, unable to continue fighting in their presence.

Kagome felt another chill and suddenly a large creature was before her, its translucent, smoky body belying its deadliness. She held Tetsusaiga tightly in her hands, trying to find the Wind Scar, but none appeared.

The shadow laughed its dripping, syrupy laugh. "You think you can beat me, half-breed?" it snarled. It was the same voice as the one that had cut her hand and stolen her blood so long before. It seemed as if that had been another life.

"You think that I'm afraid of you?" she countered.

It laughed again. "Of course. I _am_ fear. I am hatred and anger. I am immortal."

Kagome scowled and slashed forward with Tetsusaiga, coming into contact with nothing but air. She felt like crying in anguish, but she tried again and failed. Another shiver went down her spine as the creature moved closer. She lifted one hand from her Fang and tried to slash at it with her claws, but with no effect.

It closed its icy fingers around her throat and chuckled as she tried to grab at the flesh that wasn't there. "Suffer, half-breed," it snarled, tightening the pressure on her windpipe.

She began to lose consciousness, even as she heard the cries of Kagura and Ruri behind her. One of the wolves seemed to be calling for Sesshoumaru again, as the other called for Makoto. Her vision was beginning to darken and fade when the pressure was released and she fell to the ground.

"The almighty god does not wish your death," the shadow hissed, annoyance obvious in its tone. "You will suffer in other ways then."

Kagome rubbed at her throat, trying to massage away the pain. Grabbing Tetsusaiga, she stood up unsteadily and looked around, trying to find where the creature had gone, but it was impossible. So many creatures surrounded her, many apparently feeding on the fallen demons. It reminded her of the vampire movies she had liked so much in her own era with the crouching predators over their helpless prey.

A strangled yelp brought her out of her slightly dazed state and she turned to see Kagura clawing at her own tormentor. It was the same shadow creature, she realized instinctively, as she rushed to the fruitless aid of her friend.

It was crushing the wind witch's throat, just as it had done with her, and laughing. Kagome looked to her right to see Sesshoumaru down on one knee, his matted, bloody hair hanging limply around his face. Several shadows prowled around him, weakening him with just their presence. On the other side, the wolves, Keitaro and Ruri were trying to defend themselves from another cluster of creatures and failing. Hakkaku already appeared weak, his skin pale and clammy.

"Who will you save?" mocked the Shadow, which she automatically named with a capital 'S'. "You can't save them all. Your friends? Your loyal servant? Your lover?"

Kagome let out a tearless sob. "Stop it! Please!"

The Shadow laughed yet again and squeezed Kagura's neck tighter, nodding to its compatriots to close in on her other friends.

Rage began to fill her chest. Her emotional walls were breaking down and she refused to lie back and accept this fate for her friends and mate. "Stop it!" she called out again, stretching out her hand.

A jagged ray of light sprang from her palm and struck the Shadow in the chest. It cried out and dropped Kagura, who crumpled under her own weight. Kagome stared at the Shadow for a moment and at her hand before turning to her mate. The creatures surrounding him had stopped in their tracks, staring at her with eyes that didn't exist. She reached out again, summoning the rage she felt against these unbeatable creatures and another bolt of lightening shot out and struck them, scattering them. A shock of electricity seemed to go down her spine as tiny bolts of light crackled over her hands.

She turned to the final group, but the creatures had already fallen back in surprise so she ran over to her mate. "Sesshoumaru!" she called, falling to her knees and wrapping a supporting arm around his shoulders.

The taiyoukai looked up at her with a pained expression. "Their… presence weakens me," he murmured.

"Shh, I know." Looking up, she saw that the shadows were beginning to regroup. Her lightening bolts had done little more than surprised them. "Kagura!" she called out.

The wind witch lifted herself to her feet and although she was rather pale, she lifted her chin. "What do you need?" she answered.

"Distract them," Kagome answered, pointing towards the angry creatures. "We have to go back to the city! Sesshoumaru is sick!"

Kagura nodded and brought out her fan. "Dance of the dead!" she yelled, lifting the red and white fan as dozens of surrounding bodies rose from the ground, taking care to only raise the enemies' corpses. She sent them flying towards the shadows and turned her head to look at Kagome. "Hurry! I feel my power diminishing! Grab the bodies you can and retreat. Tenseiga will heal everything."

The hanyou turned back to the taiyoukai. "Okay, you hear that? You have to get up, my love."

Sesshoumaru lifted his head, greatly annoyed at his weakness. "Carry as many bodies as you can," he answered as he got to his feet. He tried not to appear tired, but his muscles were quivering with fatigue. He gave her a determined gaze, however, and turned away to do his part.

Kagome raced off, quickly finding her friends and distressed to see that Hakkaku had fallen and Ruri was sporting a mortal wound. Keitaro was helping both as Ginta grabbed two more bodies of dead Western soldiers.

She collected three corpses and leapt above the heads of still fighting soldiers. "West! North! Retreat to the city!" she called out to them. "Bring the bodies of the dead!" They looked up at her in gratitude and landed final blows upon their corporeal opponents before turning to complete their orders.

The shadows did not follow her and when she turned her head, she was disturbed to see that they were congregating back at the bottom of the sloping hill, where Amatsu had quietly been watching the battle unfold. What are you up to, she asked silently, sure that the god would hear her.

Laughter filled her head once again. _Do you think that this is the final word?_ The voice seemed to be right next to her ear. It was Inuyasha's dark tones. _Be reasonable, my love. This was only a test. You know that. You had to have known that or you have lost some of your intelligence since you became a half-demon._

Kagome ran through the disintegrating ranks of the Western soldiers towards the gates of the city, calling out Sesshoumaru's orders again and again as she maintained the telepathic link to Inuyasha. She could now hear her own voice in her head, as if she were doing something as simple as talking on the telephone. _You could have killed us_, she pointed out. _What are you trying to accomplish by 'testing' us? What are those shadow creatures really?_

Silence was her only answer, but she could feel Inuyasha's immense satisfaction at her frustration. She growled and leapt to the top of the wall of the city and over into the square.

Demons from their side were pouring in through the gates, many carrying dead bodies of their comrades. As she placed her own burden down, the white form of Sesshoumaru entered the city. She nearly choked on a sob as she saw he was carrying the corpse of Lord Makoto. She rushed over to him. "What happened?"

"I do not know," the taiyoukai breathed, as he found a place to set down the venerable youkai. "Celestials are difficult to kill."

She looked around, noting that many of the survivors were indeed from the ranks of the Northern Army. Healers were flying back and forth between patients, patching wounds and pronouncing deaths. When she turned back, Sesshoumaru was drawing a pulsing Tenseiga.

He swept it over the body of Makoto, a small sigh of relief escaping his lips as the celestial sucked in a breath of air and sat up. The taiyoukai nodded once to the resurrected youkai and turned away, muttering about helping his men.

"Hakkaku needs you. Ruri will soon need you," said Kagome. She turned to the now living celestial and her heart leapt with happiness. "Are you alright, Makoto-sama?" She knelt down beside him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, my dear," he breathed. "Better now than right before my death. Those shadow creatures are quite the nuisance."

Kagome laughed unsteadily, relieved that the process hadn't taken away the sense of humor that she so needed to hear at that moment. She threw her arms around the Northern Lord and embraced him. "What are we going to do?" she whispered, afraid that she was going to start crying.

He sighed. "I have no idea, my dear. We will figure something out." He carefully extracted himself from her embrace and sighed again. "We should help your mate."

The hanyou nodded and they went to look for the taiyoukai, who was resurrecting demons by the hundreds. "I didn't know you could do that," she observed quietly, watching in awe as a hundred youkai rose up and moved away, slightly dazed by their brush with death.

"I have never had the opportunity to use this particular ability," he answered. He appeared extremely pale still. Even his markings seemed to take on a washed out hue.

"You should rest," Kagome said softly.

"I am the only one that can do this," Sesshoumaru responded, raising another hundred youkai from death. He looked at her with dull amber eyes. "Ruri and Hakkaku are alive once again. Kagura has returned as well."

She smiled. "I'm glad, but you need to rest as soon as possible. You look like you're going to fall over." Sighing, the hanyou looked towards the walls. "Would you like me to check upon the enemy? See what's happening?"

The taiyoukai merely gave a half shrug and moved to resurrect more of his fallen army. Kagome left his side and went to the walls once again, leaping up between two archers. "What're they doing?" she asked the archer to her left, an ice demon of the darkest blue skin. Below her, the gates were closing, but no enemy youkai was resisting that move. They seemed content to mill around the battlefield, looking for survivors among the fallen.

"They are setting up a siege of the city," replied the ice youkai with melancholy. "They can attack at any time and conquer us and even if they don't, if we don't break the siege, we will starve soon enough."

Kagome frowned down at the army, which she could now see was clearly encircling the city. "We won't starve and they won't win," she assured the archers, although even she thought her voice sounded hollow. Suddenly feeling suffocated, she left without another word and rejoined Sesshoumaru in the square, who was looking even worse. She couldn't bring herself to tell him what she had seen, although she was certain that he already knew of the siege, either by others' reports or intuition.

Finally, he was done resurrecting his army, after many long silent minutes accompanied by Kagome's concerned looks. He returned the look as the last batch was revived and set the point of Tenseiga into the ground, leaning his weight on the battered sword. "It is complete."

She rushed forward, catching him just in time to prevent the taiyoukai from collapsing onto the ground. "Makoto!" she called, bringing the celestial to her side. "We need to get him to his room. He's exhausted."

The Northern Lord nodded. "Those creatures sucked him dry of his power, both physical and magical. We're lucky it didn't suck him dry of life, like they did to me." A shudder shook his body. "It's like ice dripping down your spine."

Kagome grimaced as she supported her mate and began to walk towards the castle. "I know. It's horrible. How are we going to fight them?"

"Why did they back off, my girl?"

"They… they were shocked when I hit them with lightening. Almost as shocked as me," she said softly. "I guess I have more power from my time with Amatsu than I originally thought."

Makoto shrugged and looked at the half-conscious taiyoukai between them. "Or perhaps it's a dog demon thing. Sesshoumaru has his poison, but that was from his acid demon ancestor. Did Inuyasha have any special attacks?"

"His blood," remembered the hanyou. "And he had powerful claws. Arcs of light would come from them."

"So we cannot assume that Amatsu gave these powers to you," said the celestial. "Perhaps he simply awoke them. I've always believed that half-demons are more powerful than they think they are. Demon blood is powerful and would overwhelm much of the human weaknesses."

Kagome nodded, recalling Inuyasha's struggle and triumph over Tetsusaiga. "I hope so." She brushed her hair out of her eyes and sighed under Sesshoumaru's weight. Her mate was barely walking, even with their combined assistance. He certainly wasn't aware of his surroundings. "He's a bit heavy, isn't he?"

Makoto shook his head. "Not really. Then again, I'm not a slip of a girl like you, my dear," he said with a chuckle. He gave her a look. "Would you prefer that I carry him?"

The hanyou flushed and glanced around, but everyone else was still in the square. "He'd kill us if he knew you were carrying him to his room without my help. I think he'd feel a bit less male…" She frowned thoughtfully. "I really don't know how that's possible, but whatever."

"It's a male pride thing," said the celestial, as he hoisted the taiyoukai into his arms. "But don't worry yourself. We'll go to the back of the castle so no one will see us."

Kagome followed the Northern demon, walking much faster now that they didn't have to suspend Sesshoumaru between the two of them. Makoto's enormous form appeared fatherly as he carried the thin taiyoukai. She didn't think it looked very threatening to either male's masculinity at all, although she was simultaneously aware the Sesshoumaru could never know about it.

They made quick time to the back of the palace and instead of using the garden entrance, leapt up directly onto the bridge to the third floor East wing. It was a tricky jump for Kagome and she was glad that Makoto was able to simply fly up with his burden. She didn't say anything, only opening the doors to the taiyoukai's apartments for him.

Makoto set the dog demon down on the bed, immediately moving back to allow Kagome to tend to him. "He will survive," said the celestial.

She brushed his matted locks aside. "I know. I can sense his strength rebuilding, but it will take awhile. Two days at least."

"If Amatsu attacks now, we'll be defeated easily. Even with all the soldiers we resurrected, we lost twenty five thousand in barely an hour. The shadows did the vast majority of the damage and we have no defense against them." Makoto paced along the foot of the bed.

"He's not going to attack yet," said Kagome. "That wasn't a real battle for them anyway. When they really want to kill us all, they will."

The celestial frowned deeply, crossing his large arms. "And when will they want to kill us?"

Kagome shrugged as she removed Sesshoumaru's armor and boots. "I still haven't got Amatsu figured out. My guess is that they want to starve us out, make us suffer so much that every other major demon settlement will hear about it. Then they won't encounter any resistance when they take over Japan." She scowled, tucking the covers in around the taiyoukai's shoulders. "Maybe it will be gruesome enough to scare Korean or Chinese demons."

"We shall see." He sighed and glanced one more time at the pale taiyoukai. "Take care of the boy and try to get some sleep yourself. I will come back if there's any developments. I have to get back to the troops and try to repair their confidence."

"Good luck," Kagome called dully after him as he turned and left the rooms. Sighing, she looked back down at her mate. Removing his upper kimono, she saw that he was covered in large, discolored bruises, but thankfully, no blood was spilt. His body still had white, ragged lines where she had hurt him when she was under Amatsu's control. They were fading, but they reminded her how little time had passed since then. She leaned down and kissed the crescent moon upon his forehead. "I'm so sorry, my love."

His eyes opened slowly, but they were glazed over. A soft noise came from his throat.

She pressed another kiss to the bridge of his aristocratic nose. "Hush. You need to rest." She watched as his eyes immediately slid shut again, the only sign that he had heard her. A wave of exhaustion hit her suddenly, as Sesshoumaru's breathing began to even out. Turning to his wardrobe, she pulled out one of his soft, clean kimonos and quickly changed into it. The blood splattered armor was dropped upon the floor next to her mate's.

Sitting on the opposite side of the bed, a cool draft swirling around her bare legs, Kagome placed a hand on her abdomen. She hadn't paid much attention to the baby in all the excitement, but she could feel its strong life force still growing within her. Her heart skipped a beat as she considered the possibility that she would never live to see the pup born. Never see first steps, never teach the alphabet, or tell bedtime stories.

Kagome reclined back on the pillows and rubbed the stomach that she had hoped to see swelling her baby. She felt the pup's life force shift, as if it was angry with her. Smiling, she looked down to her hands. "Sorry little one. Your mother is simply tired and depressed. I'll try to stop." She sighed and closed her eyes. "There's this one that my mother told me all the time. It was my favorite.

"There was once a princess who was beautiful beyond compare, who loved a prince very much." She yawned. "He loved her as well and gave her a ring, promising to be her husband. Then the prince's father got very sick and the prince had to leave and the princess was very sad…" Her head began to nod and Kagome pulled up the covers around her waist. "The king was dying and he asked his son to marry another girl as his last request. The prince was so distraught that he agreed and the king died. The prince became the king then and he sent a message to his new betrothed. When his first love heard about it, she was heart-broken and determined to do anything to get back her prince…" She trailed off and fell asleep.

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Jerking awake, Kagome looked around the dark room. The fire had died and the only light was the moonlight coming in through the windows. Sesshoumaru was still beside her, asleep but breathing raggedly.

She swung her legs out from under the covers and padded over to where she had left her armor. It was no longer bloody, but clean and glowing softly in the light. Tetsusaiga was beside it, as battered as ever, but spotless. Jaken had been there apparently, ever vigilant to Sesshoumaru's needs. Slipping back into her armor, her body began to ache with overuse. Kagome grimaced but resisted the urge to whimper. It would go away soon, she told herself. It was already fading.

"Kagome."

The hanyou turned around to see Sesshoumaru's eyes glinting at her in the dark. She went to his bedside and put her hand on his. "Hi. You're awake." She lowered her eyes as he arched an eyebrow. "Okay, that was stupid. Of course you know you're awake."

He closed his eyes and nodded. "I ask for your forgiveness, my mate."

"What do you mean?"

"I have judged you for not being able to decipher your…" he trailed off and took a few deep breaths, nodding again as Kagome told him not to rush. "Decipher your memories from Amatsu. Now I understand... You could not bear to remember them."

Kagome frowned. "Remember what?"

His cold eyes opened again. "Images… the children and you were dead. He told me that he knew where the children are." He looked away as his mate gasped softly. "He told me that he would let you live, at least until the pup was born… then he would take it."

The hanyou shook her head. "No. He'll never do that. I'll kill myself first."

"Death has not stopped him before," Sesshoumaru observed with anger behind his voice. "But I also refuse to give my heir to the god." He tried to sit up, but Kagome pushed him back down.

"What do you think you're doing? You don't have enough strength yet!"

The taiyoukai glowered at his mate. "He threatens to take my mate and my pup. I will not allow it. I will fight him."

Kagome rolled her eyes and stood up straight, with her hands on her hips. "Because your death will really help us!" she bit back. "I'm angry too, Sesshoumaru. Furious even, but I won't let you die for no reason."

"It is a reason, if it will protect my family," he argued. He was struck by a fit of wheezing and laid back onto the pillows as Kagome gave him a 'told you so' glare.

She picked up Tetsusaiga and tucked it into her sash. "If someone goes to fight him, it will be me." She turned to leave, but Sesshoumaru grabbed her wrist, pulling back with surprising strength for a youkai with little power. "What?"

He appeared appalled. "You cannot leave. I will not allow it."

"I'll be fine. He won't kill me. I'm his weapon and I'm carrying the pup he apparently wants," she shot back, as she wrested her arm from his grasp. She turned to leave once again.

"You are _human_, Kagome."

She spun back around, with a hand over her mouth, a hand that she just noticed had no claws on it anymore. Putting it up to her head, she found human ears instead of dog-ears and running her tongue along her teeth, she realized that they were blunt and even. "I slept for a day and a half?" she asked in awe.

"Apparently," he breathed. The argument seemed to have taken most of his energy. He was sweating slightly. "The shadows had an effect on you as well."

Kagome lowered her eyes to the wood floor. "I'm still going."

"No."

Her head snapped up. "I have to! I have to stop this, Sesshoumaru. Soon, the army is going to begin to starve and we'll all die anyway. I might as well try." She approached him again and pressed a lingering kiss on his lips. "I love you."

"You say it as if you are saying goodbye," he observed shrewdly. "I will not allow this. I can push my body further than yours, even in this state. I will stop you."

She brushed her fingers through her hair. "No you won't," she said, quickly pulling away in case he would try to keep her there. "If you have to protect me, you should respect the fact that I have to protect you too. You can't do this, so I will."

Sesshoumaru stared at her, with no emotion in his amber eyes. "Do what you will," he said, leaning back and closing his eyes.

Kagome swallowed in determination and walked out, closing the door tightly behind her.

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A/N: There you go! Don't blame me for the cliffhanger – I was going to stop earlier, but I decided to write a bit extra. My finals are over but I start work soon, so we'll see how the remaining chapters go. The next one should be interesting though! If you want to know the name of the story Kagome was telling the baby, it was "The Twelve Huntsmen". It's in the Grimm Brothers' collection. Review people and here are the responses to the last chapter's reviews:

Review responses removed due to ban


	26. Unanswerable Prayers

A/N: Sorry that this took so long kids. I had to prepare for the LSAT, take the test that will determine the course of the rest of my life, look for a job and call incessantly to get one. But I do work now which will be great for my bank account but not so good for my feet (I'm working retail – lots of standing in heels.) I also suffered from a case of 'where the heck am I going with this chapter?' Hope it satisfies. Forgive any grammatical errors – it took so long to finish this that I didn't feel I had enough editing time before you guys lynched me.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 26: Unanswerable Prayer

Kagome stepped into the hallway, her footsteps echoing loudly even for her human ears. Without windows or torches, it was incredibly dark, like swimming in an inkbottle. Her heart was beating so fast in her chest that she had to lean against the wall for a moment to try to catch her breath.

Guilt was washing over her, stabs of pain going through her heart as she thought of the pale, exhausted taiyoukai giving up and letting her go. She never thought she would see him like that, so helpless and frustrated. Even worse, she had caused it. She had forced him into a corner and demanded her rights as queen, to protect the city in any way possible. While Kagome was sure he saw the validity of her argument, he had had to surrender his own power to allow it. Only now, after she had left him, did the hanyou realize how terrifying that must have been for her mate. He trusted her, but he did not trust the creature she became when under Amatsu's control.

She had to face the reality that she would probably become that monster once again before the sun was up.

But she was still going, still trying to bargain with a god who could probably create anything he wanted from thin air. It really was a stupid idea. Kagome just hoped that it would be stupid enough to be unexpected. Perhaps Amatsu would even give away a hint as to how he could be defeated.

Her unreasonably hopeful demeanor quickly faded. First, she would have to traverse the youkai-infested city. She was certain that they would not take kindly to her presence, even if she was their lord's mate now. She would be broadcasting the fact that the night of the full moon was the night of her transformation, a secret most hanyou would guard fiercely.

Second, she would have to actually get to the god, not die in process and speak to him without becoming evil again. Lastly, she would have to get back to Sesshoumaru alive and well. He couldn't kill her for impudence until the baby was born anyway. By then, his extreme frustration and anger would probably cool off. What, really, had she hoped for when she had proposed this plan? His joyful acceptance and a hearty 'so long, see you soon, dear'?

Kagome sighed, pressing her human hands on the wall and pushing back. The truth was that even if she knew it wouldn't have happened, she wanted that sort of support. He had made it painfully clear that she wasn't going to receive any of that though.

With a quick glance at the sliver of light escaping from beneath his door, the hanyou walked out of the East wing and down into the belly of the castle. She made slow progress, as she often had to feel her way around the dark corridors. Obviously, no one else had returned to the taiyoukai's mansion. No soldiers guarded the doors and no nervous courtiers ran down the halls with fans in their claws and tiny steps. For the first time since she had arrived, Kagome missed them. Their presence would make this first part of the journey considerably less lonely.

She rounded a corner and ran right smack into something soft and equally surprised. "Oh!" she cried softly. Blinking her frustratingly human eyes, Kagome reached out with her hand. "Hello? Is there someone there?"

Something moved and sighed as it picked itself up off the ground. "Yes, my lady. I'm sorry I frightened you. Are you alright?"

Kagome squinted in the dark. "Yes, I'm fine. Who is it? Are you unhurt? I hit you pretty hard."

"It's Asa, my lady, and I'm alright. I was sent by Lord Makoto to bring you into the city. He apologizes for not sending one of your friends, but they are occupied at the moment."

The hanyou heard the gardener-turned-soldier shifting along the floor. "It's fine. I'm just glad he sent someone I knew won't try to kill me." She paused and looked at the patch of darkness where she estimated Asa was standing. "You can see in the dark, can't you?"

"To see that you're human, my lady?" asked the youkai. "Yes, I can."

Kagome drew back a little. "And you aren't… angry?"

"Why would I be angry, my lady? Everyone knew that Lord Sesshoumaru was taking a half-demon as his mate. Most demons know that a half-demons transforms into a human one night a month." Kagome could almost hear Asa's spine straighten in pride. "The West has been accused of many things, including intolerance of humans and half-demons, but we respect our leaders. Sesshoumaru-sama knows what he is doing and we trust his choice. No harm will come to you."

The hanyou breathed a little sigh of relief that Asa seemed to be the honor-bound and yet slightly dim-witted kind of demon. If the gardener refused to see the downsides of having a half-demon as queen, in spite of Sesshoumaru's advocacy, Kagome could only hope that most saw the situation the same way. "Okay, well then lead me to Makoto-sama. Did he tell you what he needed from me?"

Asa wrapped her soft sherbet colored fingers around Kagome's hand and began to gently pull her in the direction of the exit. "Not really, my lady. He only said that it was high time for a report to the Lady of the Western Lands. Allow me to extend my congratulations by the way, Kagome-sama."

"Thank you, Asa-san," replied the hanyou with a blush.

They hurried through the halls, the gardener guiding Kagome with expert skill. When they emerged from the castle, the moon showered them in a cold, sad light. Kagome looked down at her hands, staring ruefully at the blunt ends of her nails. For the first time, she could see why Sesshoumaru disdained humans so much. They were so weak, she thought. We are so weak, she corrected a second later, doubt creeping into her mind again.

"My lady?"

Kagome looked up to see the gardener was paused on the path down to the city. "Yeah, sorry. I'm coming." She jogged down to meet Asa, surprised at how quickly her heart began to speed up its beat. Even with constant exercise, her human form was fragile compared to her demon one. She would have to be careful. She was too used to pushing her body beyond what a human could endure.

They walked down into the city, Asa with a decidedly more determined tread than Kagome. The hanyou peered over her shoulder every few moments, expecting to see an angry lynch mob of youkai following her with pitchforks and torches, despite the gardener's reassurances. "Where is everyone?" she asked finally.

Asa looked around the nearly deserted streets and shrugged. "In the mansions and the barracks. They need their rest. No one will bother us, my lady."

Not completely convinced, but a little more at ease, Kagome followed her guide to the second largest house in the city. It was a bit more ostentatious than Sesshoumaru's home. The upturned corners of the roof were heavily adorned with gold and red paint and while her mate's home had rare, ancient statues tucked away in the secluded parts of his garden, this noble had a large sculpture garden. It wasn't her style, but it was impressive to look at. "Is this where Makoto-sama is?" she asked, staring at the Chinese-inspired dog statue with its open mouth and bugged eyes.

The gardener nodded once, leading her around the periphery of the garden and into the back lot of the mansion. "He's waiting over there," she said simply when the house fell away to the rear gardens. She bowed and scampered off before Kagome could thank her.

The celestial demon was standing in an arc of bamboo shoots, looking up at the cold night sky with a serious expression. When Kagome stepped on the path, his head dropped to meet her eyes and he smiled. "Ah, my lady. I'm so glad you could make it." He gestured to several soldiers that Kagome had not even noticed in the shadows. They were peering at her warily with their blades drawn. "Leave us. Do not worry for my health. I doubt I have anything to fear from the lady."

Kagome got the distinct impression that he was half-heartedly teasing her for her present state. She tilted her head at him as she caught the sparkle in his eyes. "I thought it would have been beneath you to make fun of someone in an unfortunate situation, Makoto-sama," she said with light accusatory tone.

"Being human is not an unfortunate situation," he countered, beckoning her to come closer and sit beside him on the great stone bench behind him.

She settled onto the cold rock. "Really? Sesshoumaru-sama believes it is."

The Northern Lord gave her an easy smile. "I like that boy. He has great promise, but sometimes he is a complete moron." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "After all, you can take care of yourself. Even tonight, as a human."

Kagome swiveled her head to meet his level gaze. "You know about my plan then, to meet Amatsu. How could you have known so quickly? You would have had to have known before I even came up with the idea."

"Intuition, my dear girl," he replied without hesitation. "I've seen this sort of thing happen before. When I saw your face just now in the dark, it only confirmed my predictions. Also, Sesshoumaru warned me that if the battle turned out badly you might run off and do something 'predictably human'. His words, not mine, of course."

"So you aren't going to stop me?"

He arched an eyebrow and rustled his wings. "If I tried, would I succeed?"

"No," she admitted after a moment's thought.

"Then, why should I try?"

She shrugged, looking down at the ground and tracing circles on the stone path with her boot. "Sesshoumaru didn't try to stop me either. Not really."

"If I couldn't stop you from performing this ridiculous stunt of yours, how could the boy hope to do so in his weakened condition?" he asked. "And as ridiculous as it is, I must admit that it's our best plan at the moment. No one else could hope to get within fifty yards of the god without dying a brutal death."

Kagome sighed and nodded. "But there are really no terms to be negotiated. The only thing he wants is the destruction of the Japanese youkai. The only thing we want is to be left alone."

"Remember our conversation about secrets? How we all have them?" Makoto asked, waiting for her to nod again. "Why should it be any different for gods? Surely they have wants and desires that not even their power can give to them."

"I considered that too," she replied, "but somehow I doubt it."

The celestial crossed his arms and looked up through the bamboo arch to the black sky again. "Most likely, you're correct, but sometimes miracles occur." He sighed, slapping his hands to his knees and standing up. "You should leave however, before it gets too late. By morning, Sesshoumaru will have the strength to stop you."

"So why did you call me here?" she asked with curiosity as she stood up as well.

"To ensure that this was not something done out of anger," he answered. "And to wish you the best of luck."

Kagome smiled softly. "Yeah, right. What's the real reason?"

Makoto shrugged, more to himself than to his companion. "Ah well, it was a good try," he murmured, pulling a folded letter from his kimono sleeve and handing it to her. "It's from one of my spies in the East. I felt that you should read it."

The red wax of the seal was already broken, so Kagome unfolded the parchment and began to read the rather raw hand of the spy.

My lord, 

_I have found the home of the god, deep in a forest that has no name. No one remains save a few servants. One of these I captured and interrogated at length. Just a kitchen maid, she could not tell me much. The god's wife is indeed the former Lady of the West, Kaori. She bows to her husband and complies with his every wish, even though he lies with the undead priestess at night. This I am sure you already know, my lord, but I offer it as confirmation._

_The servant revealed one other thing, however, that my lord may not be aware of. Lady Kaori and the god have a son, who is as deadly as our greatest warriors of the North. His name is Kamlyn – "lord"._

She looked up at Makoto with a stony gaze. "Well, at least we know his name now." She bit her lip as she handed the document back to the celestial. "Kamlyn. Hm."

The celestial shrugged, tucking the parchment back into his sleeve. "I wanted you to have some warning. He might be out there."

"I'll be concentrating on the god, I think," Kagome replied with a grimace.

"The son of a god is probably a god himself."

The hanyou bit her lip. "But the mother is just a youkai."

Makoto nodded once, slowly. "Indeed, but I prefer your caution. Amatsu might not harm you, but his son might. He sounds like a beast with no mind for rational thought."

Kagome swallowed and nodded grimly. "Thanks for the heads up."

They bowed to each other, more stiffly than if they had been in a happy situation. She smiled uneasily at him and circled back around the house once again, determined to get to the gates without any more interruptions.

The streets were fairly empty and the soldiers that were there seemed to be wrapped up in their own problems to care that a human was walking amongst them. The plunge in morale was disheartening, but not unexpected. After all, they were the famed Western Army and they had had their asses kicked to next Thursday. She only could hope that they would buck up a bit before another battle was fought.

As she approached the gates, she could hear her mate's voice in her head. _Try not to die, Kagome. I would be most displeased if I had to secure another mate. And if you return, expect to hear my full disapproval of your willful disobedience._

Kagome smiled ruefully. Yes, that was what he would say. Now if only Sesshoumaru was there to say it himself.

The smooth wood of the gates reminded her that she didn't have nearly the strength to open them and so the hanyou turned aside and began to search for a smaller door. It was nestled at the base of the wall to the left of the enormous gate and made of toughened steel. Two suspicious guards stood watching over it, raising their eyes in unison as she walked up to them. "Could you please open the door for me?" she asked, trying not to let her voice quiver.

One of the sentries leaned over and sniffed at her, jerking back when he got the scent of mandarin oranges. "Of course, my lady," he replied, producing a large, worn key and unlocking the bolt. The steel slab swung open without a noise.

"Thanks," she said offhandedly. Catching their curious expressions, she shrugged. "Don't follow. Just trust me," she assured them before disappearing through the wall.

On the other side, Southern soldiers immediately pounced upon her, making her yelp in pain as they tied back her hands. "Don't hurt her," rasped one voice out of the crowd. "She's the one our god is waiting for."

She was blindfolded quickly and pushed in a random direction. Kagome knew that complaining would only garner insults and injury from the Southern youkai so she remained quiet, silently contemplating what had turned a respectable territory into one of thugs. She could not tell where she was going without her demon senses, so when she was shoved down onto the ground, she was surprised to feel sudden warmth coming from in front of her.

"Take that blindfold off of her. Do you think that she doesn't know who I am?"

The soldiers murmured an apology and took the cloth away from Kagome's eyes. She blinked and looked around. She was inside a large, red tent with a fire in the center and mats arranged around it with comfortable pillows to recline upon. Five creatures were relaxing upon them – Amatsu, Kikyo, Inuyasha and two youkai that appeared to be a lizard and a bear demon. The lizard was a glorious shade of gold, although his bulbous eyes and scaly claws offset his complexion's beauty. The bear was simply very fuzzy. They fixed a malicious smile upon their faces, staring at her with appetites for blood.

Kikyo seemed serene and submissive, sitting more rigidly than the four males around the fire. She gave only a cursory, blank glance at Kagome before turning her face back towards the two demons. Beside her, Inuyasha's eyes were hidden by his hair as he picked at the spaces beneath his claws.

The god, in his ever-present gray cloak, waved to dismiss her captors and then turned to the youkai. "You two can go as well. We're finished for tonight. Kikyo, escort our guests out," he said, inclining his head towards the priestess.

She rose silently and bowed to the two demons. "Lord Kin, Lord Kuma, if you will come with me." She passed by Kagome without a glance and held the tent flap open for them. When she returned, Kikyo grabbed Kagome's hair and pulled her forward towards the god, ignoring the hanyou's yelps of pain. Her legs scrapped roughly across the matted floor.

"Now, now, my dear," purred the god. "Is this any way to treat your sister in blood?"

Kikyo gave Kagome a resentful stare as she seated herself again. "She's betrayed us so many times. This is a trick, somehow."

Amatsu leaned over and put a finger underneath Kagome's chin, forcing her to look at him. He searched her eyes, brimming with tears of pain from Kikyo's abuse. A wide smile broke out on his face. "Ah, no, my love. There is no deception here. Our little Kagome is here to plead for the life of Sesshoumaru and her city. How moving."

Inuyasha's eyes finally flickered up to meet his past lover's face. "She's mated to him now." He snarled, his lip curling up in a way that Kagome had never liked. "My brother. Are you pleased with your choice? You disgusting harlot." For the first time, he seemed truly angry with her, not his usual mocking self.

"Inuyasha," Amatsu said warningly, "be quiet. If she wants to make her supplication for peace, we will allow it." He snapped his fingers and the ropes fell away from her wrists.

The female hanyou sat back on her heels and rubbed the red bands of skin encircling her arms. "I want to know what you want in return for letting my mate, my baby and the city live."

"Nothing," hissed the priestess. "Haven't you realized that yet, _sister?_ You are ours to do with as we please. We will drag you down into hell again."

Rage rose up in Kagome's throat and she spun her head around to face Kikyo. "Oh, drag me into hell? I've heard that tune before and you never did drag him into hell," she spat, tossing her head in Inuyasha's direction, but not looking at him. "Not literally anyway. So just back off."

"My, what a little spitfire," mused the god. "It's a shame that we lost so much time together."

Kagome's eyes glittered in the firelight. "You're not getting me again. I have the baby. It binds me to Sesshoumaru."

"True… true," murmured Amatsu. He stood up and flipped back his hood. Momentarily, Kagome recognized that if he hadn't been a god, there would be nothing remarkably about the man before her. She wondered how Kaori had ever followed him. "You're forgetting," he continued, "that things change every day. That baby won't be with you forever."

"You're not getting my pup either."

Inuyasha laughed. "We'll see about that. After all, I want to see the newest addition to our dysfunctional family. I can't imagine my brother welcoming the pup into our family. It'll be a half-breed like us."

She glared at him with pure hatred. "You aren't in any family anymore, Inuyasha. Not Sesshoumaru's and certainly not mine." She watched his expression carefully, but no flicker of remorse or sadness crossed his face. "Just tell me what you want. Something that's negotiable."

"Kami!" exclaimed the male hanyou, standing up to tower over her. "You really don't get it, do you? Soon, we will have you under our power, your child's life in our hands and your mate's head on a pike in front of your conquered city. You can't stop us!"

"Overconfidence always was your downfall," muttered Kagome, looking away. She felt as if they were talking in circles.

Amatsu smiled wickedly. "It is not overconfidence when you have the advantage in every way. Look at that power you exhibited on the battlefield, Kagome. Do you really think that lightening bolts are a power that every half-demon has? Of course not. That was residual power from your time with us, when you commanded the element of lightening." He looked at his two apprentices with pride. "Inuyasha is fire and Kikyo is earth. Without you, the triad is incomplete. Haven't you always felt as if something was missing, my girl? This is the way to fill that void!"

"No," she said without hesitation. "My duty is to my mate, my child and my city."

The god sighed and tilted his head. "How tiresome you've become. And the truth is that until you have the child, you would threaten the stability of the triad. I would rip its life from your womb, but I sense its power. It will be a powerful warrior, one that I would loathe to relinquish to death." He sighed again. "But I will if I have to."

"I'll kill myself first," Kagome gritted out.

He laughed and shook his head. "No, you won't, my dear. Sesshoumaru possibly, but you could never do such a thing to your own flesh and blood." He paused and stared into the flames for a moment. "But I'll be generous. I'll make you a deal."

"What deal?" she asked cautiously.

"Come to me willingly and I will let your mate live. Perhaps I'll even let a few others of those friends you so heroically protected live as well." He grinned, showing off his white, even teeth. Kagome half-expected fangs to develop.

"No," she replied.

Amatsu drew back and frowned. "Now, now, my girl. Don't be so rash. You have only two choices. Watch everyone you care about die and then be forced into my power or come to me knowing that a few of them will live thanks to your foresight and practicality."

Kagome shook her head. "I realize what the choices are. You're asking me to betray Sesshoumaru. I can't do that."

"He knew what he was allowing you to do when you left the city," countered Amatsu. "Save the life of yourself and your child, and possibly others or watch them perish. You knew the choice before you came. You must have realized that no mortal creature can stop me, Kagome. Make the choice the ensures that your mate lives."

She swallowed, tears beginning to run down her face. Her head was pounding and truly, she couldn't remember any longer what her purpose for being in that tent was. What had she really thought would happen? She knew the risks and now she was backing down from the only choice that allowed Sesshoumaru to survive. "He'll come after me," she protested, although it sounded weak even to her own ears. "He'll fight for me and the baby."

"If he does, he will die a warrior's death," Amatsu replied, his voice suddenly cold and harsh. "He will die fighting for his mate instead of a futile war."

"Everyone in the city will hate me, judge me for choosing between annihilation and the survival of just a few," she argued.

Amatsu's lips curled. "I won't tell if you don't."

Kagome was so confused. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead onto the bamboo mats and silently crying. Her hands were fisted in her hair in frustration. The pad of her thumb brushed over her mating mark and suddenly the sobs began to dry. "No," she said, her voice unexpectedly steady, although muffled against the mat. She looked up, wiping away the trails of wetness on her cheeks. "Sesshoumaru would rather that we all die than me giving into this raw deal of yours."

"Then why did he let you come here?" asked the god savagely.

"Because… because he knew I had to," she replied, now sure of herself. "He knew that I had to try and he knew I would fail. But he also has faith in me that I'm stronger than you and your ridiculous suggestions. That's why he let me come without a fight."

In a blur of silent grace, Amatsu leapt over the fire, grabbed Kagome by the throat and pinned her to the ground. For a moment of brief silence, she just looked at him dazedly. She had never seen anyone move so fast and with such fluidity. "I will control you again," snapped the god. He lifted his free hand and his fingers turned translucent as he plunged it into her chest. He smiled as she screamed as he felt for her soul.

Suddenly he stopped and lifted away his hand, staring down at Kagome who was now sweaty and aching. "I won't take you now," he said, as if he was deciding it as he spoke. "If I take you into my power when your mate is there, I believe that it will crush him. Two birds with one stone, so to speak. Don't you hate clichés?"

"Like the one about the evil guy revealing his plan before he puts it into effect?" she choked out, trying to lift his other hand off of her throat.

Amatsu glowered at her, but the expression faded almost instantly as he sat back and watched Kagome cough and rub at her throat. "No matter, my dear," he said, getting to his feet. He offered her a hand up but she pointedly ignored it and stood up by herself. The god smirked. "I will enjoy taking you during battle and watching as you kill your own mate."

"I don't think so," spat Kagome.

Kikyo smiled in the background. "She believes Sesshoumaru is indestructible," she murmured. "What foolishness."

The hanyou gave her a poisonous stare. "I'm going to enjoy slicing your clay body apart, witch," she growled. Tossing her hair, she looked up at the god, who appeared amused. "Can I go now? I really have nothing more to say."

"Naturally. You aren't our prisoner, my girl. Not yet of course." He walked over to the exit and held open the tent flap. "Have a safe trip home, Kagome," he purred.

It thoroughly annoyed her that she couldn't think of something witty and savage to spit back in his face. The good guys always had clever exit lines. "Shove it," she finally replied, stepping out into the midst of the enemy encampment. She heard the chuckle of the god as he retreated back into his makeshift home.

Ignoring the stares, the leering and the occasional taunt, Kagome picked her way through the camp. The city's gates seemed so far away, as if it was shrinking back from her return. She was surprised when she finally reached the thick stone walls of the city. The enemy soldiers around her licked their lips and ran their fingers along their blades as she knocked on the steel door.

"Who is it?" came the muffled voice.

"Kagome," she replied in a dead tone. As the door swung open, she glanced over her shoulder at the glowing eyes of the demons outside the gates, moonlight flashing off of their weapons. She shuddered and began to walk quickly towards Sesshoumaru's castle, ignoring the guards' questions if she was unharmed.

An acrid smell floated through the air, as if someone was burning flesh and rotting garbage. A thick pillar of smoke began to rise in the distance, where the barracks stood. She stopped and frowned, trying to figure out what could be set aflame in the army's quarters. With a jolt, she realized that the soldiers must have been burning the bodies of the dead, the ones that Sesshoumaru had not been able to save with Tenseiga. A wave of nausea hit her and she doubled over for a moment, grateful that none of the soldiers were around to witness her display of weakness.

She wondered if Sesshoumaru would be watching this from his window, frowning at the waste of talent that the towering plume represented. He was a powerful warlord, and she suspected that he felt the loss of so many men much more closely than others expected.

Kagome began to walk again, and her steps sped up as she journeyed back across the city, until she was almost running through the gate to the taiyoukai's mansion. Sliding along the slick floors of the halls, Kagome made it to the East wing entrance before stopping, with her hand over her rapidly beating heart.

What was she going to tell him? Nothing had really come from the meeting with Amatsu except for a profound sense of how insignificant her resistance was to a god. And lots of tears, of course. She ran over every moment she could remember from the encounter, trying to see if the god had made any mistakes but came up with nothing.

Kagome sighed and walked across the bridge, resolved to see the smirk of 'I told you so' on Sesshoumaru's face once he had determined that she wasn't evil again. The thought depressed her even further, so instead of opening the doors to the bedroom, she took a left into the weapons room, where the taiyoukai had so carefully chosen daggers for the children's protection.

Hidden by the shadows, the statue of Bishamon sat quietly, its outline barely visible with her human eyes. She had noticed it the day she had become Sesshoumaru's mate and it had surprised her. The taiyoukai had never appeared very religious. She had wondered why it was kept in a room so close to him. At the moment however, she was grateful for the privacy.

"You're supposed to protect us," she whispered to the statue as she kneeled before it. "You're the god of war and of justice, but what justice is there in a war that will only bring evil? One that will wipe out everything good in Japan?

"Why aren't you helping us?" Kagome continued. "You never concern yourself with mortal affairs in the legends. I never understood that, but I accepted it. This is different though. One of you is wreaking the havoc. How are we supposed to fight a god? We're not divine."

A soft sound came from the bedroom and the hanyou turned, but the door didn't open and no shadow moved. She looked back at Bishamon and sighed. "They're going to take me and they're going to turn me into a weapon that will destroy what the gods created. It's not fair that everyone should suffer because of my inability to defend myself. I'm not asking for a way to save me, I'm asking for you to save everyone else. If I have to die, that's okay. I just can't believe that you would so readily ignore our plight."

"They always have," spoke Sesshoumaru from the doorway. "You foolishly expect that to change? Your prayer will not be answered."

Her shoulders stiffened, the only sign that she had been startled by his appearance. "You don't know that. You aren't a fortune teller."

He stepped into the room. "I am being logical." He paused and looked at her carefully, sweeping his eyes over her body. "I am pleased that you are unharmed."

Kagome nodded and finally turned to face him. "Were you worried?"

"That is irrelevant."

She smiled at him. "Yes, of course it is." Her cheered expression faded and she looked down at her hands. "I didn't accomplish anything. He just threatened me and you, tried to make a deal with me and got very angry when I refused. Then I left."

Sesshoumaru walked along the wall with the weapons adorning it. "I am not surprised," he said after a long pause. "I expected nothing more."

Kagome got to her feet and leaned against the cupboard that held some of the more rickety swords. "You let me go anyway. You knew I had to try, but you still resisted me a little. It was confusing to me."

"What kind of mate would I be if I allowed my female wander into fatal situations without arguing my case?" He looked at her, his amber eyes flashing coldly. "Even if I had accurately predicted your actions, that does not mean that I recommended them, especially on the night of your human condition."

"Makoto-sama thinks you're a moron for doubting a human's strength," the hanyou responded, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably. She was grinning as Sesshoumaru allowed a small scowl to pass over his features. "Do you really believe that I'm weak?" she asked, dropping her playful expression.

He breathed in her mandarin scent, which hardly changed with her transformation. In a way, it was sweeter, as if the metallic scent of blood didn't cling to her human form. A demon always had the aroma of blood upon them. "A human could never defeat a youkai with a reasonable degree of skill."

"There are other kinds of strength," she replied, as her eyes dimmed with hurt.

"Perhaps."

She remembered one of their previous conversations, when he had been pleased that she hadn't given into the pain under Amatsu's torture. A shudder spread down her spine. "I screamed this time," Kagome said. "He began to twist my soul and I screamed. Are you disappointed?"

A silence settled over them as Sesshoumaru gazed at her. His demon ears could pick up the sounds of the wind against the windowpanes and the heavy steps of his troops, but he could not hear her breathing. She was holding the air in her lungs, making her heart beat faster, trying to pump the little oxygen she had left to her limbs. "That is also irrelevant," he said. Her eyes began to brim with tears and the taiyoukai quickly continued. "I cannot be disappointed in an act I know nothing about. I have not suffered that sort of pain."

Kagome's eyes traveled along the floor, tracing the boxes of light created by the moon shining through the windows. His words had prevented tears from falling, but a pit remained in her stomach and so she decided to change the subject. There would be no purpose to calling him a liar. "Makoto-sama spoke of something else too. Something that would be more to your interests," she said in a hushed voice. "A spy found out that you do have a brother and his name is Kamlyn."

He growled inwardly but did not comment on the quick change of subject. Her unreasonable judgement of his words would be addressed later. "Then we will face him on the battlefield and I will kill both of my brothers."

The hanyou was now rather morose and gave up the chance for a sarcastic fratricide comment. "When are we going to fight them again?"

"Tomorrow."

She started with surprise. "So soon? We don't know how to destroy the shadows yet. They'll kill us all."

"I know."

Kagome looked up at him, her forehead crinkling with concern. "You're telling me that we're all going to die? Sesshoumaru… that isn't like you. Aren't you going to give us half a chance?"

The tension and frustration that had been sitting heavily upon his shoulders suddenly transformed into anger towards the hanyou. Usually her naïveté was refreshing. He could temporarily escape from his hectic world by listening to her speak animatedly about her home, the children or her future plans. At the moment however, her ignorance of their dire situation only flamed the fire of hopelessness that was burning in his chest. "You have no conception of anything beyond these walls, do you?" he questioned with venom. "I will die tomorrow morning defending my city. You will probably be watching as Amatsu's slave. My heir will have nothing to claim but rubble, if the pup evens survives."

"Don't say that," she whispered. "Don't lose hope."

His lip curled with a snarl. "Hope in what, half-demon? We only can depend on ourselves and the shadows can depend on the troops' fear. Even a powerful miko cannot harm them."

The hanyou twisted her hands together. "It's not my fault!" she cried. "They aren't corporeal. If I can't touch their flesh, I can't purify them. I don't even know if they have souls to purify!"

"Which is why I will depart from this earth tomorrow in battle," he growled softly.

"Your soldiers look up to you," Kagome argued, changing tactics swiftly. "You can't go out there with failure in your heart. Then we truly are doomed. How can you be so cavalier about the lives of the demons that follow you so blindly?"

Cold amber eyes flashed crimson for a moment so brief that she thought she might have imagined it. "They follow me because they fear me. A fear that you lost long ago. Do not presume to know what they hold in their minds because you have nothing in common with them. They will die believing that it was a battle for our survival, not a battle to end our suffering."

"So you're putting us out of our misery?" she asked with an edge of distaste.

"I am sure that you will be quite happy in your return to the god," he spat. "Your death does not come with the morning sun, only a chance of a second life."

Kagome fisted her hands and scowled at the taiyoukai. "Just a damn minute. You think that just because Amatsu wants me alive that I can't empathize with your feelings about tomorrow's battle? That's ludicrous. If you put us into battle tomorrow, I will lose you and my dearest friends."

"You will forget us. If you do not, the memory of our deaths will be a joyful one." He stared at her, unblinking, unforgiving of her situation.

She shook her head, trying to clear it of all her protests that she knew would fall on deaf ears, searching for the logic that Sesshoumaru was ignoring. "We have to keep trying," she said finally, inwardly swearing at the weakness of her words. "If you do this, we're quitting and laying the entirety of Japan at Amatsu's feet. You rejected my plan to see the god for its stupidity, but this battle is just another instance of stupidity!"

His glare pierced her heart. "Did you not smell the rotting corpses burning in the barracks as you came here? We have lost already. Japan will fall. You said once that demons do not exist in your era. This is where we cease to live."

"But you saved most of the soldiers. I know we lost a few, but we hurt them too. Much of the East and South army is dead too."

Angry confusion flitted across his face and then it was gone. Lifting his head, he sniffed the air and glowered at her. "Unsurprisingly, your human nose has failed you. Those were not the corpses of my army burning, but the corpses of the animals and crops that fed us. A spy is here, determined to bring this siege to a quick end. In a fortnight, we will have exhausted every storehouse in the city and we will starve."

Kagome gave a little sigh of shock. "All of our food is gone?" she asked quietly.

"The army's rations," he growled. "Your human food is still here in my personal kitchens. Live well and long, Kagome." His angry tone was coated in thick sarcasm.

The hanyou had seen enough documentaries about the great conquerors of the world to know that a besieged city without food was soon a fallen city. It would either end in death by starvation or surrender, if the city leaders didn't decide to commence a suicide mission. Kagome had never advocated blind abandon of life, but she was beginning to understand Sesshoumaru's choice. Honor was the value he held most dear and giving into evil or slowing dying of hunger were not honorable options.

She looked up, where Sesshoumaru had decided that the conversation was effectively over and was turning to leave. "Wait," she called, taking a step towards him.

He glanced back at her with hooded eyes. She couldn't tell if he was still angry, until he spat an acidic 'what?'

Kagome knew that she couldn't take any time to formulate her words and so she let them spill without censorship. "Just because I won't care for you or your fate after Amatsu takes me back into his control, doesn't mean I don't care about it now. I still love you and I don't want to be parted from you, even if that might change soon." She took a pause, seeing that she had his attention now, albeit still angry. "And even if it does, it's not really me. Remember what you kept saying to me when Inuyasha returned? You said it wasn't him, and that I shouldn't care about him because it wasn't the hanyou I fell in love with. That would be true about me too, right? I have to wonder, Sesshoumaru, if you're really angry with the distinct possibility that Amatsu will make me forget you or if you're angry with the fact that you might actually have to try to forget me."

Her accusation made him turn to face her fully again. "I will die. You will forget me. It does not matter how that happens."

She refused his answer and with a firm stomp of the foot, she pointed a slim finger at him. "Why don't you just admit it? You're not saying everything that's on your mind about this. Why is that? Maybe you hate the idea of Inuyasha raising your pup instead of you. Maybe you hate the idea of your mother accepting me as her daughter but not you as her son. Maybe you hate the idea of yet another brother getting all the glory. Maybe you hate the idea of leaving this earth and still being too much of a coward to tell me that you love me in your own damn words!"

In a flash of movement, Sesshoumaru pinned her back against the wall, making her flinch in pain as the rack that normally held Tenseiga and Tokijin dug into her back. "Be quiet, you insolent female!" he snarled. "You do not know what you are talking about! My only concern is with my city's inevitable downfall, not the ramblings of a dirty blooded mate who should be carrying a bastard child instead of an heir!"

Kagome's face barely flickered as she lifted her hand and slapped him across the face as hard as her human strength would allow. "When you die, it will be a bastard child!" she screamed, not caring about his sensitive hearing at such a close range and secretly taking delight in the way he cringed at her voice's volume. "And in case you haven't noticed, I will be the cause of this city's downfall, so don't act as if I know nothing about it! You think I'm self-absorbed, but you're willing to kill everyone in this city because you can't think of anything better to do! You're wallowing in self-pity, you spineless mutt, so don't you dare preach to me!"

His eyes were beginning to glow red, but she barely registered his rage. Giving him an unexpected shove, she freed herself from his grasp and marched out of the room, slammed the door to his apartments and threw herself into her old room, with the carved bed and the sheets that smelled of oranges.

She stayed still for many long moments, her nose buried in her pillow, and waiting for Sesshoumaru to come storming into her room, demanding her subservience. When he did not arrive, Kagome gave into the increasingly large lump in her throat and began to cry. Her sobs were silent, but she knew that the taiyoukai would be able to smell the salt of her tears. As the moments of his absence turned into minutes, the tears came more swiftly. She began to believe that his anger was absolute and that on the eve of his death, he would not be there to sleep beside her.

The eve of his death. She repeated the phrase over and over in her mind, but she couldn't get accustomed to the idea. After all, she had once told him that he would never fall, that he was forever, and she still believed it. The idea of her own death, if only the death of her soul and her memories, was much more acceptable. It had been something that had wormed its way into her mind long ago, when Amatsu had first told her that she was his heart.

Kagome wondered if, by some miracle he lived through the next day, that Sesshoumaru would look upon her animated body as she had looked upon Inuyasha, with regret and mourning. But again, the idea refused to stick. The taiyoukai never regretted anything and he certainly did not mourn death. Her transformation would bother him, but not be mourned. Yes, 'bother' was certainly the word he would use. She could imagine him saying as much.

Turning her head away from the damp pillow, she looked out her glass-paned doors to the horizon. The smoke of many fires rose up like intangible, leafless trees on the top of a hill. The moon was beginning to set, telling her that the night was more than half over, forcing a few more tears to slip down her cheeks and onto the bed.

Behind her, the door opened and although she could not smell anything with her human nose, she tensed up. "Go away, Sesshoumaru."

"I believe that it is my turn to disobey my mate's express wishes," he said. There was an edge of sarcasm to his tone, telling her that he was far from any form of apology that she might want.

She felt his weight settle upon the edge of the bed and closed her eyes, refusing to turn her head. "Fine, whatever."

They sat in silence for many minutes, each waiting for the other to speak. Kagome knew that the taiyoukai would never apologize or admit that he was in any way hiding the truth of his feelings. Her willpower to not speak first remained strong, but finally, she simply tired of his stiff, unemotional presence. Shifting her position so that she was on her back and propped up against the headboard, she stared at him. "What do you want?"

He gave her a sidelong glance, but kept his head facing the door to the hallway. "An apology."

Rage rose quickly in her chest as she scrambled to her knees. Leaning forward on one hand and lifting another to strike him, she screeched in anger. "Give _you_ an apology? For what? For pointing out that your plan is pointless suicide? When you said I had dirty blood and that our child is a bastard? You ass!"

She brought her hand down but in a quick movement he caught her wrist and finally looked at her fully. "We will have to work on your apologies," he said, squeezing her arm slightly for emphasis. "However, I will accept this one for now."

The initial surge of anger having died down a bit, Kagome sat back on her heels, allowing him to keep a grip on her wrist. "Why don't you apologize to me?"

"Unnecessary," he answered.

She arched an eyebrow. "Oh really? And why is that?"

"My mere presence in this room should indicate my wish to end this argument," he said with a slight shrug. "I would not think you would want to jeopardize our reconciliation with a ridiculous demand such as that. You know that I will not comply, which will lead to more arguments. I know that you would rather spend this time with myself in silence or pleasant speech."

Kagome began to tug on her arm, trying to free it. "I would rather do that? Why wouldn't _you_ prefer silence to arguments?" she snapped.

He let go of her suddenly, making her topple back onto the comforter. "I would prefer anything to the incessant scent of tears. The salt can be quite irritating."

"You're such a jerk. You've apologized to me before. Why can't you do it now?" His scowl told her that he was about to say something insulting. She could barely stand the suspense. "Well?"

"I was truly apologetic for what I said to you in the forest," he said calmly. "I do not feel the same way about the words we just exchanged."

She grabbed the soggy pillow she had been crying into and swung it around in an ill-timed plot to hit the dog demon. "Jerk!" she repeated as the projectile neared his silky white head.

He deftly moved out of the way of her strike and then tackled her to the bed, his hair falling down around them so that she could only look into his angry gold eyes. The pillow went flying into the corner of the room, harmlessly hitting the wall. "Your actions are unnecessary, miko. I have made you my mate and the pup is my heir. Only death can change that. Why do you persist in fighting me on the last night that I am alive?"

Kagome blinked and swept aside a few of his silvery hairs that were tickling her nose. "You're afraid. Please… just admit it. That's all I want. I think I deserve that. I can practically smell it on you."

The dog demon moved down, pressing his striped cheek against hers and placing his warm lips against her human ear. "I am not afraid of my death, miko. Let us be clear on that point. The only thing that I fear is the expression of happiness on your face as death approaches me."

As he drew back again, she touched his forehead, tracing the crescent moon. "Whatever the monster I become says or does in your final moments on earth, my soul will be crying. The dark servant of Amatsu doesn't mourn but Kagome will always love you." She pressed a kiss to his temple. "The pup binds us," she said, repeating his words from many days previous.

"No," he said suddenly, causing her to frown slightly. He leaned down and touched his nose to her mating mark, where his scent upon her body was the strongest. "Not only the pup."

Kagome began to cry again, large tears rolling down over the apple of her cheeks and onto the pillow and into Sesshoumaru's hair. He pulled back slightly and gazed at her for a moment. As he was about to speak, the hanyou shook her head. "I'll stop. I'm sorry."

Sesshoumaru didn't respond, only kissing her deeply, his clawed hand insistently wrapping around her waist.

"I'm human," she murmured when he finally broke away.

He descended upon her again, so quickly that her ears almost didn't pick up his words. It took her a moment to register their meaning, almost making her cry again, in desperate joy. "I do not care, my Kagome."

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A/N: I hope you guys liked it. I was stuck forever on several parts of this chapter. It really hated me. Oh well. I'll try to get the next one out more quickly, but I also hope to get more hours at my job so I can have money for the upcoming school year. We'll see how it works out. Onto the review responses!

Review responses removed due to ban


	27. Collapse

A/N: I apologize for the length of time it took to get this chapter posted, especially since it's not a very long chapter at that. I lost someone a few weeks ago and for awhile I just couldn't deal with a chapter that was all about death. I hope you guys understand. I still plan to finish this story before the end of the summer.

The Broken Miko

Chapter 27: Collapse

Kagome woke up as daylight singed the horizon with a healthy yellow glow. She could see immediately that it would be a beautiful day, although still chill enough to be late fall in Japan. The few birds that remained north were beginning to warm up their throats outside her window.

Her door opened and the hanyou pulled the covers up to her chin before rolling over to see that it was her mate entering her old room. He carried his armor under his arm and nodded his morning greeting. She smiled uneasily. "How long have you been up?"

"I have not slept," he replied, placing the battered but clean armor plates on the foot of the bed. He untied his yellow and blue sash and placed it on the bed, looking at her carefully the entire time. When Kagome averted her eyes, he frowned. "I will not look at you if you do not wish it."

"You're staring like I'm going to disappear," she said, unwinding the sheets from her body and standing up. Shivers went down her spine as the cool air touched her bare skin and she immediately reached for her undergarments.

Sesshoumaru nodded once and dropped his tail from his shoulder. He would never admit it, not even to his mate, but he had spent the hours after she had fallen asleep gazing at her. He had watched as the sunlight came into the room and touched her, transforming the frail human body into the clawed, red-stained hanyou. As he listened to her move around the room, with the steady steps of a more powerful being, he could not figure out which form he preferred. The hanyou was what he saw, but he was well aware that she was still human in mind and soul, despite any physical transformation.

Of course, it didn't matter. He would never see her as a human again.

He knew that his repeated affirmations that he would die this day disturbed his mate. Why wouldn't they? She loved him and even those that did not love their mates would be disturbed by such news. But he was nothing if not realistic and logical. They were fighting a god. Last time, they had barely escaped with their lives and that was only because Amatsu had not wished for their annihilation quite yet. The shadows overran everything. Even now, they could enter the city doors and no one could stop them. Not even his powerful mate. Yes, it was better to accept death than to refuse to entertain it. Refusal only enraged it, causing it to demand more blood and suffering than necessary.

"Sesshoumaru? Are you alright?"

Her words shook him out of his reverie and he realized that he had been standing with his hand upon his armor for many minutes. He nodded and locked his gaze with hers. She was halfway into her own armor, her arms up to their elbows in dragon hide. "I am fine."

She moved into the rest of her armor with ease, pulling on the boots and lacing them up as Sesshoumaru had to use his rather awkward tail to hold the plates in place as his one hand tied them. Her small fingers suddenly were over his, stilling them and taking over his work. He looked at her reproachfully. "I have done this for many years on my own," he pointed out. "I do not need assistance."

Kagome shook her head. "Oh, shut up. It goes faster this way."

"If my armor falls off in the middle of battle, I will lay the blame on you," he said, letting his hand drop away as she moved around him, securing the plates.

She shrugged and picked up the chest armor, with its spiked shoulder, helping him slip it over his head and pulling his white hair out from beneath it. Lacing her fingers through it, she sighed.

"What ails you?" he asked, turning his head.

How could she point out the large elephant in the room without sounding ridiculous? 'Gee, honey, I know you're just being your usual logical self, saying that we're gonna die and all, but could you reassure me anyway?' She sniffed at her immaturity. He was simply preparing for the worst, as all proper warlords did. If the best scenario happened instead, well, there would be even more reason to celebrate.

Of course, all this didn't change the fact that the former Kagome, the hopeful, idealistic Kagome of her youth was still crying out for a tight embrace and the promise of a long life with her mate. The whole affair still settled darkly on her heart.

"Nothing," she lied. Tying the final stays of his armor, Kagome looked up at her mate. "I'm done. We're ready, I think."

They picked up their weapons and without glancing back to their bed of one night, the pair made their way out of the East wing and into the heart of the castle. Kagome continually fidgeted with the hilt of Tetsusaiga, but trying to keep time with her mate's confident steps. When they reached the great doors that led outside, Sesshoumaru planted a firm hand on her shoulder, stopping her from opening them. "We are fighting for Japan, Kagome, not for each other."

"I remember," she answered, lowering her head.

He placed a clawed finger beneath her chin and forced her gaze back up to his eyes. "However, I will die for you and our pup."

"I'd rather you not."

Sesshoumaru smirked at Kagome's answer, however sullen she appeared. "Come, the army is waiting for us." He opened the doors to the crisp cold of the morning, where the birds had fallen silent and the air was still. Only their gentle leather-soled steps disturbed the courtyard.

The quiet trip into the city was far too short for the hanyou and soon, tired, despondent soldiers surrounded them. She tried to give them encouraging smiles, but they turned out weak and forced. Finally, Kagome gave up and kept her eyes forward.

Makoto and the rest of her friends were at the head of the troops, close to the colossal doors that separated them from the armies of the god. Although the West and North stood silently, Kagome could hear the clatter from the hundreds of thousands of soldiers on the other side of the wall. They were letting out whoops of victory already and taunting the archers that stood upon the parapets above them.

The inuyoukai scowled at the noise, immediately turning to his ally. "We will not open the doors. It will only cause slaughter. Do they have a weak point?"

The celestial shook his head. "The enemy is thick around the entirety of the city, except the rice fields in the east and the barracks to the north, but we cannot fight there either." He grimaced and crossed his meaty, silk-clad arms. "Who planned this damn city anyway? It's a miracle that you haven't been besieged before."

Sesshoumaru ignored Makoto's bad mood, understanding it entirely and wondering the same thing. "We will concentrate on the west side then. Archers will take the flanks from the city walls and destroy any reinforcements. We will not open the doors. Our armies will jump the west wall. I trust that all of yours can do that?"

"Of course," grumbled the celestial.

As they began to discuss troop movements, Kagome lost interest and wandered over to Kagura, who was standing with Ruri and the wolves off to the side of the action. They all appeared more morose than usual, even the skunk demoness, who the hanyou had never seen in a truly good mood. "Cheer up guys," pled Kagome. Even to her, her voice sounded flat and ineffectual.

Kagura lifted her chin. "I'm not running away from this one, Kagome, so why should I be cheerful? Running is the only thing that would keep me alive right now."

The wolves and Ruri murmured in agreement as Kagome lowered her eyes. "Maybe, but we could get lucky."

"I'm sorry, Kagome-san," said the skunk youkai, turning her amethyst eyes upon the hanyou. "We have tried, but the scent of defeat is in the air. It's impossible to not sense it. Even if we felt good about this battle, it would still depress us. It's chanting to us that we will die today."

Kagome shook her head. "That's all I'm hearing lately! I'm going to die, I'm going to die. Do you have any idea how depressing _that_ is? There's got to be something that will keep you optimistic. The West never loses right?"

The wolves looked at each other. "Well," began Hakkaku, "this will give us a chance to exact revenge upon that monkey demon if he's here."

"If we can find him," added Ginta. He caught the stern glance Kagome was sending his way and held up his hands. "When we find him I mean. Of course we'll find him."

"And when you defeat him, you'll have your clan back and you can build a new home and the females will return," commented the hanyou, urging them on.

"Girls are good," replied Hakkaku thoughtfully. He smiled toothily at Kagome. "Okay, neesan, we'll try to hold onto that."

Kagome clapped her hands together. "Great! Who's next?" she asked, looking at the other two.

Kagura warded off the question with a wave of her hand. "You already know what my answer is, Kagome. Can we just leave it and promise that we'll try not to be so depressed? Despite every sense of ours telling us that we should be?"

"Fine," said the rather crestfallen hanyou.

The witch pulled a narrow red strip of cloth from her sleeve and placed it in Kagome's clawed hands. "Here, take this."

"What is it supposed to be?"

Kagura smiled and, tucking away her fan, took the red embroidered silk and began to tie it around the hanyou's neck in a fashionable knot. "The girl I bought it from said that it was for luck," she said winking at her friend. "You seem so fixated on cheering us up, but I think you need it more than I do. See? It says 'happy life'." She brought the corner of the cloth into view, where the traditional Asian saying was embroidered in sweeping kanji.

Kagome patted the smooth silk and nodded at the wind witch. "Thank you, Kagura." She paused and looked at her skeptically. "What were you going to use it for?"

The red-eyed sorceress gave her a Cheshire cat grin and removed her fan from her obi once again. "Let's say that I was hoping luck would find me as well with it. I never had the chance to try it out though."

The hanyou rolled her eyes, but accepted the gift with a smile. A call of her name snapped her attention back to reality. "What?" she asked, rather rudely, turning back to her mate and Makoto.

He arched an eyebrow at her tone, but let it slide. No one was listening anyway. "It is time. We will be going out with the first wave of soldiers. They," he indicated her four friends, "and Keitaro will be in the second wave. We need every line to be strong. Move into places."

She waved goodbye to her friends, trying not to get too sentimental. They weren't idiots, they knew what was coming to them, but they didn't know that she would probably be the one to do it. Despite all of her attempts to cheer them up, Kagome pessimistically gave herself ten, twenty minutes tops, before she became the dark enslaved weapon of Amatsu once again.

She shook herself. Maybe there really was something in the air.

Standing beside her mate, she drew Tetsusaiga, letting it transform. She felt a clawed hand on her shoulder and looked up at stern face of Sesshoumaru. "What did I do?"

"I simply wish to tell you that if you have need of it, Tenseiga is yours to wield. In the case that I cannot do it."

Kagome nodded solemnly, not wanting to start another argument about his defeatist attitude. "Okay, I'll remember. Tetsusaiga is yours too," she added.

His eyes widened a fraction of an inch. No one else would have noticed it. "I cannot wield it without human blood in my veins."

She shoved it towards him inviting him to take the Fang and watched with morbid delight as it remained in its deadly state. He glanced at her sharply, not in anger but in unadulterated wonder at how she had achieved this miracle. She shrugged. "It was a theory. You, um…" she trailed off to make sure that not even Makoto was within hearing range, but he was off giving orders. "You bit me last night again. I thought that maybe even that little of my blood in you might work."

Surprisingly, he shoved it back at her with more force than she had exerted. "It is yours. I have no need for it."

"What? Don't lie, you loved that. If something happens to me, it should be yours."

Sesshoumaru nodded once. "It was something that I never thought would happen again, I admit, but it will not happen in the future either." He silenced her protest with a hard look. "Tenseiga is my birthright and the Fang was my brother's. He handed it to the most suitable heir. I will not take advantage of the gift he gave to you. The sword will stay with the rightful owner."

Kagome's brow crinkled in confusion. "But you were so eager to take it away from Inuyasha all those years ago. I thought you gave up because you realized that you could never handle it."

"I abandoned the quest because I found Tokijin, which is rightfully my sword. When I discovered that Tetsusaiga sealed my brother's demon blood I realized the wisdom that my father had displayed in our inheritance. Tetsusaiga will never belong to a pureblooded demon. That was not its purpose." He did not say that, during the time they had spent together, he had found Kagome to be a worthy owner in her own right.

The hanyou looked down at the Fang and then nodded. "I think I understand. Thank you."

He wasn't certain what she was thanking him for, but he realized that it didn't really matter. The subject was laid to rest, as it should have been long ago when Inuyasha owned the sword.

"I think that it's high time we get this show going, my boy," Makoto said as he strolled back up to them. "We wouldn't want them to think we've run with our tails between our legs. No offense meant, of course."

Sesshoumaru scowled at his ally, wrapping his own tail tightly around his shoulder. His words were measured and calm though. "Yes. Give the order, Makoto."

Trepidation washed through Kagome as the celestial turned to the troops and raised his hand. She couldn't believe it was happening to quickly. The sound of thirty thousand swords leaving their sheaths filled the air as Sesshoumaru told her quietly to prepare herself. Makoto's arm dropped and the first line of attack surged forward in unison, jumping up to the top of the city walls and over.

Kagome and Sesshoumaru joined this mob of uniform movement, launching themselves into the air, landing on the parapets for a brief moment and then gliding onto the battlefield. A thick cloud of arrows came to them as they stepped off the walls, easily deflected by the well-supplied army, although a few unlucky demons fell to the ground. Kagome shielded her only vulnerable spot, her head, from the arrows with Tetsusaiga. When she landed on the ground, the impact was harsh but she was immediately pulled out of the way of the soldiers behind her by her mate.

"Keep your eyes open, Kagome!" he scolded, slicing apart a demon without effort.

"Sorry!" she called back.

She was determined to stay by his side this time, but the battle was fierce. Although Sesshoumaru remained calm and looked as if he was only swatting away pesky flies, Kagome was soon overwhelmed by the multitude of enemies surrounding her. This was the real battle and Amatsu wasn't holding back. He had sent the weaklings the first time, but these were the real muscle.

Even so, her inherent knowledge of Tetsusaiga kicked in and she was killing more demons than she thought was possible in such a short space of time without any of her special attacks. She kept her hands glowing with purifying power, simply touching any youkai that came too close for her personal comfort.

Although she was doing well without a scratch on her, Kagome knew that her mate's army was falling all around them. She could smell the blood of the Western and Northern soldiers and there were more and more enemies surrounding her. But it was still just demons around her. No shadows, no gods and no resurrected mikos or hanyous were close by.

A loud crash behind her claimed her attention and Kagome turned to see the city doors opening slowly, as if they were straining against their locks. The West and Northern armies continued to pour over the walls, but they were more panicked now. They were fleeing something. Kagome sliced apart the demons trying to take advantage of her distracted state and launched herself into the air, straight up, to see what was happening.

She gave a strangled cry as she saw that it was the shadows that the soldiers were running from. They had completely encircled every living creature, forcing them out of the city and onto the battlefield when they were not yet needed. She could hear some of the officers commanding their troops to stay put, but the screams of those who tried to obey drowned them out. The shadows were on every side, destroying any demon that got too close to the perimeter.

Falling back to the ground, Kagome fought her way to Sesshoumaru's side. "We're trapped!" she cried to him, as soon as his white shock of hair came into sight. "The shadows are circling the battle, forcing everyone out of the city."

"I can hear them," responded the taiyoukai as he skewered three youkai at once with Tokijin. His tail was wrapped around the throat of another, squeezing the life out of him. Once finished, the dead youkai was tossed into the bodies of other advancing enemies.

Kagome looked back at the city, her heart wrenching as she saw that it was overrun with shadows. "I could help them! Use the lightening power I have!"

"No. You cannot control it!" he yelled over the din of battle. "It will only hasten your capture."

"Stop being so negative!" She swung the Fang and toppled four demons, blood spurting from their halved bodies. She grimaced. "How many have we lost?"

"Too many," he replied grimly. "Even if we stopped now, I could not revive them all."

A high pitched squeal, like machine parts grinding together, suddenly filled the air, so loud and piercing that it almost made their ears bleed. Kagome flattened her crimson triangles and saw that all of the youkai around her were on the ground in pain. Crawling over to Sesshoumaru, who was kneeling and shaking from the agony, she wrapped one arm around his neck and pulled him close so that the ear he could not cover was muffled against her shoulder.

Youkai around her were crying and struggling to drag themselves away from where she sat, leaving a hollow in the middle of the battle that had suddenly gone into a standstill. Dead bodies were littered upon the grass, staining it red. Looking down at her shuddering mate, she realized both of them were already covered in blood, guts and (much to her disgust) brain. Her surroundings were a veritable chamber of death.

She tried to urge Sesshoumaru to move away from what seemed to be the epicenter of the noise, but he could not move. He was losing consciousness from the torture upon his sensitive ears and she only hoped that it would not cause permanent damage.

When she began to drag him, the squealing stopped, leaving everyone dazed for a few moments. As the battle's pause stretched out, Kagome looked about her and realized that Amatsu and his two companions were standing twenty feet to her left. She began to get to her feet, but the god motioned for her to stay. She felt an overwhelming urge to follow this wordless order.

"Please, don't get up. Let the boy rest," the god murmured. "He has a big fight ahead of him. Dare I say, the fight of his life?"

The fighting was beginning to resume on the outskirts of the field, but those around the hollow continued to stare. Inuyasha's eyes gleamed malevolently as he looked around at them. "Kill them," he said, breaking the hold Amatsu had over the Southern and Eastern soldiers, who immediately turned and slaughtered the still stunned Northern and Western ones.

"No!" choked Kagome, watching as another few hundred of her allies fell to the ground. She looked down at Sesshoumaru, who was breathing shallowly, but was awake. He didn't seem to be aware of what was happening.

"Let's bring your friends here, shall we?" Amatsu said softly. It was amazing the way his voice carried over the battle that was raging around them. Everyone engaged in the fray seemed to understand that they should not step into the ring around the god unless they were invited.

The hanyou shook her head. "No. Don't bring them here. This is between us."

"This is between us," mocked Kikyo, speaking for the first time. "Don't you understand, you pathetic twit? 'Us' includes you. It's between us and the rest of Japan, which includes your friends and your mate. You've been pushing us away as long as possible, but today we're going to pull you in."

Kagome looked at her icily. "If you're going to bring me into your twisted, Deliverance-like family, just do it, okay? Stop the bullshit."

"She's got a tongue on her that could burn a fire demon," the god said, tilting his head. "I hope you don't mind, Inuyasha."

The male hanyou shook his head. "She's been mine for four years. This fling with my brother," he spat the word out like venom, "is nothing. I had her first."

"Or you could always rip the foul thing from her mouth," snarled Kikyo.

"Either way," said Amatsu, continuing to speak as if Kagome wasn't sitting twenty feet from his spot on the bloodied grass, "she will want to say goodbye to her friends. I think we should oblige her. A welcome home present of sorts."

He snapped his fingers and the fabric of space seemed to tear, letting a jagged slice of nothingness peek through. A torrential wind poured through it, forcing Kagome to cover her mate again as her ears flattened. Ruri, Kagura, Keitaro, Makoto and the wolf brothers stumbled through the crack in space, disoriented and off-balance.

It was a relief to know that they were all still alive, but Kagome knew that fortunate condition would not last. She wanted to scream at them, tell them to get out as quickly as possible because there was a god that wanted their blood, but the words didn't form. Her throat was suddenly dry, refusing to work.

"Say 'goodbye', Kagome," prodded the god, coming over to stand behind her.

The skunk youkai turned, the first one who seemed to finally be getting her bearings straight. "Kagome?" she murmured. "What's happening?"

"G…G…Goodbye," the hanyou stuttered, fighting the word with all of her strength, but failing. The god was already making her a puppet and she was vaguely surprised that it wasn't his voice that emanated from her mouth.

"Good girl," murmured Amatsu, stroking her ears. It felt like fire ants crawling upon her skin.

Kagura, winning against the nausea of being ripped across space, opened her fan and walked over to Kagome. Ignoring the god's raised eyebrow, the wind witch shoved the female hanyou back and took hold of Sesshoumaru. "I don't think you should be near him right now, Kagome," she said in way of apology although she only appeared angry and wary of the girl.

As she lost contact with her mate, the taiyoukai seemed to come back into touch with the world. Flinching at the bright light, he pulled his arm out of Kagura's hand and stood up with only a bit of wavering. "What has happened?" he muttered, annoyance and perhaps a bit of embarrassment in his voice.

"She told us goodbye," said Ginta.

Seven pairs of eyes turned on Kagome, as she sat leaned back on her hands, still stunned from Kagura's sudden action. Looking up, she saw that she was at Amatsu's feet, but she couldn't move away. Mouth gaping like a trout, she couldn't even call to her friends, asking them to understand that her actions weren't completely under her own control. She knew that she was still Kagome though. Her soul was intact. She just had to hold onto it.

The god smirked. "Well, I suppose we're all here and all caught up. Shall we?"

A fan and six blades were suddenly drawn and pointed towards Amatsu and his two companions. Kagome could only stare at her mate, whose eyes were cold but now averted from her face. He was glaring at the god, saying something. Kagome squinted, trying to read his lips, but she couldn't understand his words. She knew that he could speak many languages, but a few of the others were nodding in agreement with him. Inuyasha was laughing.

There was a sudden sensation of ice sliding down her neck and things began to slow down and flash, as if a strobe light was drowning out the sun. She tried to blink it away, but it only made it worse. The earth was shaking beneath her, crevasses splitting around her, letting up shoots of hot steam.

She sat on the ground as it heated up, scorching her palms as they rested on the grass. Her friends were yelling at the god, but she couldn't hear them any longer. Sesshoumaru remained calm, turning his pale face towards her, his golden eyes not blinking once. He said something to her, but her vision was swimming, not even allowing her to read his lips.

Swallowing hard, Kagome tried to focus on the beat of her heart, as he had taught her to do. Using the steady rhythm as an anchor, she looked again towards the taiyoukai.

Save us. 

The words pounded into her ears, although still no sound emanated from his mouth. Kagome blinked and watched her mate's words silently spill from his mouth. "Save you?" she echoed, surprised that she could suddenly speak.

He nodded once, so sharply that his neck should have snapped.

"How?" she asked, vaguely aware that all movement had stopped around them. Her friends and enemies had seemingly forgotten how to breathe.

Go to Amatsu. 

Kagome shuddered. "What?" Her voice was trill with incredulity, but he repeated himself. The hanyou felt a strong urge to follow his instructions. It was her duty as his mate and as a subject of the city. Sacrifice one to save the whole. Wasn't that what the wolves had done to save their clan? Her mind and heart seemed to scream at her to comply with Sesshoumaru's request.

But a spark of disbelief and suspicion crept up inside her, crawling up from the pit of her stomach to the back of her throat. "No, I can't. You would never say that," she said.

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed. _Then we will die._

"You said that you accepted death," retorted the hanyou. Her brows knit in frustration. "You were adamant. You told me that this wasn't about us, that it was about Japan."

The taiyoukai lifted the corner of his lip in a silent snarl. Tokijin, until now lying dead in his hand, flamed to life. Without a word, he spun, killing Kagura and Keitaro in one swing. No scream of protest escaped their lips, but their eyes were full of disappointment as the light faded from their vision. The others remained in place, watching the two bodies fall to the ground. Sesshoumaru turned his head to look back at Kagome over his shoulder. _See what you have forced me to do?_

A force seemed to press down on her lungs, making it difficult to breathe as he lifted his sword again. She wanted to beg him not to hurt anyone else, but speech was once again taken from her. It was difficult to tell if it was the result of the pressure on her chest or the pain and shock she suffered from watching her mate slice apart her friends.

As Makoto and Ruri fell, willing victims to Tokijin's wrath, Kagome found herself in a cloud of confusion. She could not comprehend the reasons behind his actions, nor could she stop them. The wolf brothers died without comment.

_Your future is gone._ He gestured to the corpses surrounding his feet. _You are forcing me to make this decision for you._

He lifted his sword once again, momentarily confusing the hanyou. There was no one else to kill that would push her towards a final answer. Even if she did have one for her obviously incensed mate, she could not form to words to say it. Kagome could only close her eyes, blocking out the carnage that Sesshoumaru had wrought upon her friends.

Her lack of movement, however, left her ears open to the continuing grate of Sesshoumaru's vicious tones. _If you will not sacrifice yourself for our city, then I will. There is no forgiveness for your treason. Traitor! My love for you dies in this moment._

Kagome's eyes opened again, watching as Sesshoumaru brought the tip of the sword to his own throat. Instead of mourning his imminent suicide, Kagome felt the pressure lift from her chest and she straightened. "What?"

The single word made the taiyoukai pause and tilt his head towards her. His crooked eyebrow asked her silently what she meant by interrupting his grand exit with such a silly question.

She pushed herself to her feet. "I'm wondering about what you said," she responded. "The Sesshoumaru that I know and love would not tell me that he loves me here and now, not before committing illogical suicide. Everything is wrong about this. I don't even feel real pain over the apparent deaths of my friends!"

Perhaps your heart is dead. 

Kagome narrowed her eyes. "Now, see? That's exactly the sort of thing I'm talking about. Sesshoumaru would never tell me that my heart is dead. I think that I don't feel anything because this isn't real. You didn't kill anyone. You're not contemplating suicide. And you certainly didn't admit that you ever loved me in front of the people you hate most in the world!"

The dead bodies of Kagura and Ruri popped up to sitting positions, their legs still splayed out in front of them. As one, they looked up at Sesshoumaru. "I told you that you were going to go too far at this," they hissed together.

The four male youkai sprang up on the other side. Blood still poured from their wounds. "Ah, it's alright," they chanted. "I have other methods for dealing with the girl. That baby is telling her what is real and what is not. Shall we give her a taste of reality then?"

Sesshoumaru and the two females nodded with a mechanical synchronization. Their edges began to bleed together, as if someone had dropped water on a pencil drawing. Color was draining from their features and from the world surrounding her. Soon, she was in a plane of stark white, with puddles of gray that were quickly receding.

Wake up, my little heart. 

A jolt went through her, as if she had dropped a hair dryer into her bathtub. Moaning softly at the pain, Kagome opened her eyes to find her mate and friends still alive and staring at her. Sesshoumaru's mouth was set in a thin line. "What have you done to her?" he demanded, noting his mate's glazed look.

Amatsu shrugged, not even glancing at the hanyou. "We showed her what could be in her immediate future. We could have shown her worse." He scowled. "You don't seem to understand, demon, that we want Kagome to come to us willingly. We do not wish to harm her, but your impertinence may force us to do just that!"

Tokijin crackled as its owner's ire increased. "Release her, and we shall see who receives the injury here."

The god simply shrugged. "Very well. I think we have wasted enough time with idle chatter." He nodded to his accomplices, wordlessly telling them to stalk forward in preparation for battle.

"Even Tenseiga won't be able to put together the pieces once I'm done with you, brother," snarled Inuyasha from Kagome's left. His claws were beginning to glow like embers of a flame threatening to come to life.

With stress mounting higher on both sides of what was quickly becoming a staring contest, Kagome felt the presence of Amatsu ebb away from her mind. He was distracted by the swift turn in events. The baby's presence took the prominent place, filling up the darkness left by the god and digging in its claws. She smiled softly at her unborn child's tenacity as she slowly lifted her grass stained hands from the ground and stood up.

Amatsu turned back to her, trying to force his way into her mind once again, as she began to walk towards her mate and friends. Letting loose a growl that seemed almost canine, he sneered at her. "Join them in the battle and your time with me will be all the less pleasant for it."

She stepped up to Sesshoumaru's side before turning her black and crimson head to face him. "I will suffer without my mate anyway. What more could you do to me?"

It seemed as if Kagome's words had settled the matter entirely. Nothing else could be said to forestall the battle. So Amatsu lifted his hands, bringing down a bolt of lightening from the clear blue sky to form a sword in his hands. It was blackened and twisted, as if it was the reject of a blacksmith's work, but its blade was sharp and thin as paper. Amatsu's insignia crested the hilt, the ray piercing the orb. It was truly a sword of a god.

Sesshoumaru lifted his lip in a silent snarl and strode forward like a flash of light, bringing down Tokijin to meet the godly blade. The sick crunch of metal against metal spurned the others to move into their own battles. Makoto and Keitaro joined Sesshoumaru while Kagura and Ruri took on Kikyo. The wolves stood on either side of their sister, tensed to fight Inuyasha.

The male hanyou rushed towards them in a streak of red and Kagome only just managed to ward off his sharp claws with Tetsusaiga. "Pathetic," she heard him mutter as he passed by. Coming to rest on the ground again, he flexed his long fingers. "You gave up such power, Kagome. You could have joined us willingly and now you will be our slave."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Don't you guys ever just shut up about that? I've obviously made my choice, now get over it and fight me!"

"It's not a choice! It's the path we have been set upon!" he retorted, attacking again. He managed to kick Ginta in the gut, but Kagome hit him with the broad side of the sword, throwing him off.

"It _is_ a choice," she snapped back, terrified at how his contact with Tetsusaiga made the blade hum in her hands. "How could it not be a choice of a deranged half-demon, overwhelmed with blood, to ask his enemy for another chance at a half-life? That is a choice, albeit a very bad one."

Inuyasha went directly for Hakkaku next, slashing at the wolf's throat and missing by bare inches as Kagome tackled him. They rolled, sprang apart and landed ten feet from one another. "I led a cursed life the first time. Now I am blessed by a god!"

Kagome straightened her spine from her defensive crouch and stared at him. "You have _got_ to be kidding! Are you _truly_ trying to use a crappy childhood as the reason you became evil? How cliché. I would have expected better from you."

"I could not have you in one life and my lord gave me another chance!" he yelled, with a predatory, possessive gleam in his eyes.

"I'm not your pet, Inuyasha," she gritted out, not missing his expression for a second. "I'm not your mate. I'm not even your friend. So if this is your god's way of bringing us back together, well, forgive the language, but he fucked it up big time."

A piteous cry of pain rose into the air from behind her and Kagome turned to see Kagura flung across the breadth of their personal battleground, blood streaming from her wounds. The wolf brothers had joined in the fight with Kikyo, but the priestess seemed to be batting her opponent away like mosquitoes. Unlike Inuyasha, she was not spending time in senseless talk.

On the other side, Sesshoumaru seemed to be holding his own against a god. Makoto and Keitaro were farther back, sporting fresh gashes in their armor and skin, but healthy enough. Tokijin's pure brute strength seemed just enough to go against Amatsu's blade of power. A thick cloud of poison began to surround the taiyoukai as his hands began to glow green.

Inuyasha followed her gaze and clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "My lord is just mocking yours. He could kill him with one strike."

Kagome knew this as the truth. Even as she watched, Amatsu seemed to tire of the game and press against their locked swords harder, forcing Sesshoumaru down to one knee under the pressure. She raced forward, swinging Tetsusaiga to ward off the persistent Inuyasha.

"Sesshoumaru!" she cried, seeing him lower his other knee to the ground. Reaching forward, she sent a shock of lightening between them, singeing the god enough to release his hold on her mate. She shuddered as Amatsu sent her a glance of pure loathing, but held her ground. Behind her, Makoto and Keitaro had moved in to take over her fight with Inuyasha. Their yells heralded that he wasn't being so gentle with them. After all, she had been needed alive and they were expendable.

Ignoring the fog of poison still surrounding him, she stepped up to her mate and covered him with her arms, letting Tetsusaiga hang loosely from her fingertips. He was panting slightly and she could hear his heart beating quickly from the adrenaline rush. His body was beginning to realize his mortal peril. Soon, he would unavoidably be bound for a transformation into his canine form. She had a feeling that the protective bubble around them, keeping the larger battle away from them was also a precaution against Sesshoumaru's larger self. Now closer to the barrier, she could feel the evil emanating from it. It would kill her mate to touch it.

Looking up at the god, who was sneering above them, Kagome frowned. "If you are going to kill him, you will have to kill me first."

He let out a short bark of a laugh. "Oh, how endearing! How I wish for my old power, the power of an untainted god, one without such a restrictive human shell! In my proper form, I could kill your mate with a simple thought."

Kagome flinched as a flash of memory returned to her. She remembered killing Kagura's subordinates for fear of the spy's influence on her troops. The lightening bolts that she could form with a thought struck home each time. It was as simple as wanting them dead before she saw them crumpled on the ground. The hanyou realized that the baby was probably the only reason Kagura had survived at all. Even in its first few hours it had been fighting.

"That's why you want us," she whispered. "We aren't just a weapon. We're a funnel for your power. You can't do it, so you make us do your dirty work for you!"

"I believe that was rather self-explanatory," mocked the god. "My, you are slow on the uptake, aren't you? Good thing I don't want you for your mind."

Kagome shook her head, ignoring the insult. "No, that's what Kikyo is for. I'm the heart, she is the mind and Inuyasha is the strength. She is earth, Inuyasha is fire and I am air. Well, lightening really, but who cares? A triad of elements, capable of encompassing even a god's power. No wonder we were so appealing." She whipped her head around and glared at Amatsu. "You deceived us all! You ensnared Kikyo with talk of a new life with Inuyasha and had her give him a second chance with me and me with a second chance with him. Oh, you just played off our emotions, you evil monster! There is no destined path! There is no prophecy! There is only an opportunity that you took, destroying all of our lives!"

"And once again, my dear girl, you have proven that your intellect is not the desirable part of you," Amatsu said with a taunting lilt. "There is a prophecy. I waited for a long time to see it to fruition. I did not even interfere, for that could have damaged the foretold future. You destroyed your own lives, with the help of that wonderful Naraku."

"It is not a path," she whispered obstinately. "It is a choice. They made the wrong one. I will not repeat their mistake." She stood up, bringing Sesshoumaru to his feet as well. He looked calm and collected, despite his repeated brushes with death.

"You did not have to hold me as such," he murmured, his annoyance evident that he had been embraced twice so far on this battlefield.

She sighed. "Okay. Remind me not to save your life again."

Amatsu lifted his sword again. "Don't fret, my heart. He won't live long enough for you to save again." He moved forward, faster than the eye could follow. The sunlight off of his blade was a streak of gold, telling them precisely when to duck for cover.

Kagome's hand tightened around Tetsusaiga again and she threw out the Wind Scar as soon as the god slowed down to be within her visual perception once again. It sliced through the ground, adding even more gashes in the earth. She had hit the mark, but the streams of light glanced off of Amatsu without effort.

"Foolish girl, I am immortal. You cannot kill me," he cackled.

"And you need me for your weapon," she answered back, "so we're kind of at a stalemate aren't we?"

He grinned. "You would be surprised what is possible with a reanimated corpse," he murmured dangerously, nodding to Inuyasha, who was throwing around Makoto and Keitaro as if they were rag dolls. Beyond him, Kikyo had knocked three of her four opponents unconscious at least, although Kagura looked alarmingly blood-soaked. Only Ginta remained standing, and he was stumbling.

"Go help with Kikyo," muttered Kagome. "Hold the bitch at bay."

Sesshoumaru, recognizing one of the few times that he would have to take an order from his mate without questions, nodded and moved across the field. Only when Tokijin's crackling energy struck the earthen priestess did Kagome turn back to the god.

"What trick do you have up your sleeve?" she asked him. "I know you have something. Something that will even make me rethink my decision."

He smirked. "Well, perhaps I was too quick to judge your intelligence, my heart."

Kagome gave a little sigh of frustration. This was a battle, yet all they seemed to do with her was talk. She considered that maybe they weren't quite sure how to take her into their control again without seriously hurting her. They certainly were not going easy on her friends, as their screams so blatantly pointed out.

A fresh cry of pain sounded out and Kagome turned to see Kikyo spring away from Sesshoumaru with her hand grasping her shoulder. Blood seeped through the spaces between her fingers and she glared at the taiyoukai with utter contempt. Kagome's mate had a mixture of exhaustion and pride upon his face. Without pausing for foolish statement of confidence, he attacked her again, this time blocked by massive earthen walls that Kikyo called forth.

Kagome looked back at Amatsu, who appeared annoyed, but otherwise unconcerned with Kikyo's fight. "He's hurt her," she said. "Now we know that they aren't invulnerable. It won't be long until he lands another, more fatal, blow."

"You want Kikyo's blood on _your_ hands," pointed out the god. He was smiling again.

The thirst for vengeance still lived in Kagome's heart, but she shook her head. "This battle is about the future of Japan, not my petty desires," she said, echoing Sesshoumaru's earlier sentiments.

"How noble of you," Amatsu replied, appearing quite bored with her trite statements.

Kagome fought the urge to roll her eyes again. "Show me your hidden ace or fight me, okay? This is getting really tedious."

The god bowed deeply, keeping his eyes locked with hers. "Of course, my heart. I could never deny a wish of yours." He snapped his fingers and three shadows immediately came forward out of the battle around them, holding a frail, pallid woman between them. She was gently guided to Amatsu's side before he dismissed the shadows with a nod.

"Kaori."

The whispered word stretched across the clearing. Inuyasha and Kikyo fell back from their respective battles, the priestess still clutching at her wound but the hanyou completely whole. Sesshoumaru ignored his opponent and walked towards his mother, cold calculation in his eyes.

Amatsu threaded his fingers through Kaori's raven black hair, allowing his fingertips to brush the strips placed high on her cheekbones. On her pale forehead, a crescent moon glittered. She was wrapped in what once was an expensive white silk kimono, but was now stained with the blood and dirt of battle. It was torn in a few places. Her eyes were blank, staring past them all without any focus.

"She is but a ghost of the beauty she once was," murmured the god.

"Do not touch her!" snapped the taiyoukai, moving forward.

Kagome intercepted him, whispering a single word. "Wait."

The god smiled wickedly, wrapping his arm around Kaori. "You have no power here, Sesshoumaru. She is my wife and mate. I can do what I wish with her and she gladly obeys. She loves me."

"More than life itself," Kaori's deadened voice murmured before Sesshoumaru could speak.

Kagome frowned deeply, quickly figuring out why the former Lady of the Western Lands had the vacant look and why she was allowing Amatsu to touch her. "She has no soul. How can someone who has no soul love?" She glared at the god. "Why did you do this? Surely it wasn't necessary. Did you just want to torture a ten year old boy by taking away his mother?"

Amatsu stared at her for a moment and then let out a great booming laugh, quickly joined by Inuyasha and Kikyo. "Your conception of the situation is flawed beyond reason, my heart."

"Oh, then do enlighten us," seethed Kagome, crossing her arms.

The god pulled Kaori even closer to his body, nuzzling her hair with his nose. "Very well. I see no reason to hesitate to break Sesshoumaru's spirit, if I cannot break yours, my heart."

The hanyou gritted her teeth against the nickname that was becoming increasingly irritating and glanced over to her mate, who was shaking with rage. She had to hand it to the god. He knew when to pick his moments. Sesshoumaru was more exposed right now than she had ever seen.

Amatsu plowed on with the story, ignoring his audience's tension. "I remember it as if it were me, although it was the human shell who acted upon his lust. He loved her as soon as he saw her, standing so beautiful and quiet beside your father, Sesshoumaru. He had to have her. When he went to her, however, he found her to be resistant. It appeared that although she did not love your father, she had a son who she could never abandon."

There was an intake of breath as Makoto sputtered in anger. What he was not able to say, Sesshoumaru gladly supplied. "Human filth," he snarled, flexing his claws.

"If it hadn't been for you, she would have left gladly!" snapped the god. "Your father was a cruel mate that did not hide his preference for humans! She almost looked relieved when my human predecessor placed the love spell on her!"

"Sorcery!" cried out Makoto, finally finding his voice. "Kaori would never have wanted you! And how dare you try to defile the Inutaisho's memory!"

Kagome clutched at her head with a violent movement as memories flooded her mind. This story had been recounted once before, she felt with a rip in her heart. Kaori… love spell… soulless. There was a missing link there. Human love spells, even by the most practiced human sorcerers, were creatures of obsession and servitude. It did not tear the soul from the body.

Sesshoumaru did not notice his mate's weakened state as his own anger rose to unimaginable levels. His eyes were bleeding red, as much as he fought it. Not until he heard Kagome cry out his name, did he turn his head to see his mate moaning in pain.

He moved to her side. "Kagome?" he whispered, as a pleased divinity looked on.

His mate gave no sign that she had heard him. She only gave one more cry of piercing pain before collapsing at his feet, memories overwhelming her.

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A/N: Finally. I started this chapter the day after I posted the last one and so it has truly taken a month to finish. Again, I'm sorry for the long wait. Please review!

Review responses removed due to ban


	28. When Gods Walked the Earth

The Broken Miko

Chapter 28: When Gods Walked the Earth

Memories swirled through her mind. Some were of her time with Amatsu and some were not. Many of them had happened before she even found the well, before even Sesshoumaru was taller than Souta. It was overwhelming to sift through not only her own recollections, but also those that the link with Amatsu had given her. She felt as if she was only scratching the surface, that if she dug deep enough, she could find the memories of the creation of the world.

She knew she was unconscious, drifting through the multitude of memories that Amatsu's words had triggered to come forth again. Not eager to return to the world of the waking, Kagome traveled her newfound remembrances. It was like a book with its pages jumbled up and no page numbers. She had to guess where each memory fit in its place in history. It didn't help that half of the creatures in the mental images were foreign to her, never seen by her eyes in the real world. She recognized Sesshoumaru's father, a younger Makoto and a painfully realistic copy of Jaken. He had not changed over the centuries.

A dull throbbing of pain began to manifest itself, warning the hanyou that she had little time to make sense of the memories. They were not truly for her to examine, a quiet voice seemed to whisper in her ear. Amatsu did not want her to access these recollections for they gave her an undesirable advantage.

'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer,' she murmured within her mind. The pain increased as she moved through the images faster, trying to cram in as much as possible.

Suddenly her eyes popped open and Kagome took a rattling intake of breath, as if she had been drowning in the salty ocean waters.

"Kagome!" someone cried in relief. It sounded like Ginta, forcing every last bit of his remaining energy into the word. He would have to be truly tired if he forgot her honorific.

Sesshoumaru came into focus, leaning over her and holding her shoulders up off the ground, against his chest. "You fainted," he muttered so that only she could hear.

His mate smiled sleepily. Simply coming back into consciousness had worn her out and she was prepared to lie down and slip away into dreams again. "Were you worried?" she asked instead, ignoring the fact that he hated questions that forced him to reveal his feelings towards her, especially with an audience.

The inuyoukai was saved from having to answer it however, as Kagome shot up in arms, nearly knocking heads with him. She disregarded the near miss, swiveling her head to glare at the god and his two companions, who had made their way back to his side during her brief collapse. Scrambling to her feet, she pointed rudely at Amatsu. "You!" was all she could get out.

The divine being arched a black eyebrow. "Yes, my heart?"

"You used us all!" she yelled back.

Inuyasha threw his lord a bored look. "I think she already told us this one. I suppose she hit her head on the way down, do you think?" He turned his eyes to his former love and sneered. "If you can't say anything _nice_, Kagome, don't say anything at all," he mocked, repeating the words Kagome used so often after he had hit Shippo in their former life together.

Sesshoumaru had risen to his feet during this infantile exchange and cleared his throat, garnering the attention of all present. "Kagome, you must elaborate or allow us to return to the fight. Do try to do it without the high-pitched screaming though."

Cowed only slightly by her mate's impatience, Kagome nodded and consciously forced herself to calm down a bit. "Sesshoumaru… what he said… about your mother under the love spell. It's true. But he took her soul a different way."

Amatsu made a little noise of indignation and when the hanyou turned to look at him, he bowed and held up a hand. "I was going to tell the boy… but please… go ahead and spoil the surprise."

She gave him a brief glare and then looked back at her mate. "Kaori was obsessed with the human sorcerer because of the spell, just as he was obsessed with her without the spell. But when he realized that he was going to die soon, he told your mother to sacrifice herself to give him immortal life. She offered herself up to the gods, but none of them would listen except _him_," she said, jerking her thumb towards the evil god. "He took Kaori's soul in exchange for the sorcerer's immortality, but he didn't tell either of them that he was going to do it by inhabiting the human shell."

The god's anticipatory expression fell flat. "Now, that wasn't a very exciting way of putting it."

"Oh? And what would you have said?" countered Kagome, momentarily losing grip on the volume of her voice.

He waved his hand around, as if trying to pick the words from the air. "Oh, something like… 'Sesshoumaru, your mother's soul was consumed by the fires of hell for her sin of bringing me to earth and she will never return'? Or perhaps… 'It was your mother under the god's orders that bombed your castle and sabotaged your food supply and sent the tengu after the pups of Japan in order to help Amatsu rise to the preeminence of power on this plane of existence'?" He grinned with a deadly spark to his eye. "Yes, I like those versions much better."

"Well, you didn't get to it first, so too bad," jeered Kagome, crossing her arms and looking back at Sesshoumaru. Her eyes softened when she saw his clenched jaw. "Are you… alright?"

He ignored her question, his eyes immediately seeking out Amatsu. "Is it true? What you said about her?" he asked, nodding to Kaori. "Has her soul disintegrated?"

"Yes," said the god and Kagome together, one with laughter in his eyes and the other with pure empathy.

But Sesshoumaru seemed to take the news rather well. His eyes turned to golden steel and he nodded once. "Then there is no reason to give you any mercy, in exchange for a soul that does not exist any longer."

Amatsu frowned. He had not thought of this, although it wasn't especially important. For all of his posturing, Sesshoumaru had about as much power against a god as an ant has against an elephant. The taiyoukai knew it as well, of course. The god suspected that he kept this air of bravado to placate the girl, who was afraid for his life and rightly so.

The hanyou had other ideas, however, and stopped them from drawing their swords once again by holding out her hands. "Wait!" she cried. "I never said that I was finished."

"What more is there to tell?" asked the inuyoukai, rather annoyed that he had been interrupted again.

"It's about your brother," murmured Kagome. She narrowed her eyes at Inuyasha. "And not that one. Kamlyn."

"Good. If I had three brothers, it would begin to get difficult," he replied with more acid than he had intended for his mate. Stopping on the edge of battle was like playing half a piece of music and breaking off at the climax. Simply irritating.

Kagome recognized his tension and decided to get right to it. "Kamlyn… he's not a bad guy, Sesshoumaru. He's on _our_ side. He hates Amatsu and your…"

"Quiet!" roared the god. He advanced upon them like a predator, forcing Kagome to back up directly into Sesshoumaru. "You think that I didn't want to destroy the boy? He's been a thorn in my side for centuries, whining about how I took away his mother's soul. He's even tried to attack me once or twice, after I gave him all that power! Godly power to encourage him to join me and he rejected it! The only reason he's still alive is that I seem unable to kill Kaori's sons. That, my heart, changes now."

Something entirely unrelated to memories rose within Kagome's chest. She could only liken it to a premonition, because it gave her another spark of hope. "No," she intoned, making the god pause again. "You think you've locked him up? He still can fight you. Kamlyn isn't your prisoner anymore and he knows that we are his allies against you."

"He cannot escape again," seethed Amatsu.

A faraway expression passed over her face. "But he did. Even if you destroy us, he will be at your heels, sabotaging your plans."

Amatsu growled, long and low. "He is a coward who should have been exposed as a baby to die in the woods."

Kagome ignored his crude comment, letting focus come back into her eyes and turning to her mate. Her moment of clairvoyance had passed without a hint of how it had occurred. "He's a bit of a way off. Scouts keep catching up with him. We'll have to do this alone for now, at least."

Sesshoumaru nodded. This was a variable that he had not included in his predictions for the outcome of the battle. A brother with godly powers, even if he was not exactly a god himself, would be quite an asset. It would just take a bit of maneuvering to keep the god and his companions at bay for awhile. He felt his determination to live and protect his mate strengthen.

The female hanyou glanced back at the god, who was doing a poor job of keeping his overflowing rage in check. His knuckles were white as his hand gripped the sword. She smiled lightly and took hold of Tetsusaiga. They rushed towards each other simultaneously, their swords grinding together as they came together. Nearby, Sesshoumaru and the others had casually fallen back into the fray with Kikyo and Inuyasha as if there had never been any pause. Kaori only stood by, silently watching.

The god's strength was far greater than her own capabilities and so Kagome fell back, rotating the shoulder that had received the greatest pressure. Amatsu gave her precious few seconds to recover though, attacking her again with a silent swing of his blade. The hanyou rolled deftly out of the way, arcing Tetsusaiga back over her shoulder and hitting something solid and unbreakable.

Turning, she lost heart to see that she had caught the god squarely on the calf, but that the blade did not even tear his mist gray robe. He saw her look of surprise and laughed softly. "Don't you remember your time with me? Invincibility! It's glorious."

Kagome scowled and stood up, blocking another of his attacks, but barely in time. She briefly considered tossing Tetsusaiga and taking up a hand to hand combat with the god, but realized that she would probably break her foot on his granite form. Her sword was the only thing protecting her from becoming a broken, crumpled mess.

'I only have to keep him distracted until Kamlyn arrives,' she thought with relish. 'He will help us and we will win.'

Amatsu had no trouble picking up her idealistic musings and grinned like a jack-o-lantern. "The boy will be of no help. You mistake him for someone who is in my graces. He is not and has no access to my power." He tilted his head. "Why do you pin your hopes on someone you have never met anyway? It is most unwise, my heart. It is the hope of someone desperate for a miracle."

"Perhaps," admitted the hanyou, "but stalling in your battle against me just shows that you are equally unsure of the future."

Her words did not please the god and he attacked again without warning, using his divine speed to take her by surprise. She twisted away, unable to make a counter-attack and receiving a smack from the broad side of his sword for her lack of vigilance. Kagome fell to the ground and groaned, but pushed herself to her feet as quickly as possible as Amatsu chuckled behind her. "My, that training of Sesshoumaru's didn't take very well, did it?"

She snarled at him, but kept her mouth shut. If he didn't know about her sudden knowledge of Tetsusaiga, she certainly wasn't going to tell him. Of course, the intimate details of how to use the Fang weren't being of much use to her at the moment.

They passed each other again, their swords sliding off of each other with a sing of heated metal. Kagome almost breathed a sigh of relief for surviving another attack, when Amatsu's foot connected with her lower back, sending her sprawling forward onto the grass and Tetsusaiga flying out of her hand. It landed, battered and old once again, twenty feet from her position.

The tip of his blade pressed the back of her neck as she lay there and his foot on her spine kept her on the ground. She didn't struggle. "Fine," she said. "Kill me. End this ridiculous charade."

Amatsu laughed again, letting it rumble through his chest and limbs. The point of the sword pressed dangerously down with the rhythm of his movement, threatening to draw blood. "That's just what you want, isn't it? You can't do it yourself, so you want me to kill you in some fit of rage perhaps? I'm surprised that Sesshoumaru didn't smother you in your sleep last night. It would have been the logical thing to do." He laughed again, but moved his blade away from her neck. "No, I want you all to suffer, my heart. Then I will take you, alive and well."

Kagome turned her head, looking over to her mate, who was battling Kikyo. They appeared evenly matched. His strength and strategy was countered by her fearsome miko powers. Several snaps of pink light emanated from her hands and her bow. He was so wrapped up in the battle, that he did not notice his mate's peril. Kagura stood nearby, blood pouring from a chest wound that Ruri was desperately trying to clot. The wolves could barely stand against Inuyasha, depending on the two celestial youkai to prevent their deaths. All six of her friends were injured, groaning in pain with each blow.

Feeling Amatsu's foot removed from the base of her spine, Kagome was able to get up and turn to face her tormentor again. He was standing beside his demon wife and mate, his sword hanging loosely by his side. For the first time, Kaori's eyes were focused. She was staring at Kagome with an air of disdain, mirroring Amatsu's expression.

A shrill scream tore across the sky and everyone turned to see Kikyo clutching her abdomen. Sesshoumaru had neatly pierced her between her ribs. Tokijin was dripping with the blood of the dark priestess as she fell to her knees. Kagome's heart leapt into her throat. Kikyo had been hers to kill, the one that she most wanted to reap vengeance upon but she could not stop as the thrill of an imminent kill took hold of her body. After all, she reasoned, she and Sesshoumaru were one. He could take revenge for her.

Still, Sesshoumaru hesitated and looked over at his mate with the question in his eyes. She smiled encouragingly at him, but frowned when his golden eyes flickered away and horror creased his face. Kagome followed his gaze to see that the god had Kaori in his arms, with his sword pressed against her jugular. She appeared glazed over, unaware of what was happening, but Amatsu had made himself perfectly clear.

"Touch Kikyo again, Sesshoumaru, and your mother will die at my feet," warned Amatsu, unnecessarily saying the words.

The taiyoukai growled softly, but let his sword drop. Kikyo scrambled back to Inuyasha, who had broken off from his fight with Makoto to tend to her wounds. Divine power flowed between them in a rush of red light and sealed the normally fatal injury, although Kagome noticed that the priestess winced still.

Amatsu's sword remained against Kaori's throat, pressing harder when Sesshoumaru took a step forward. "Why do you threaten her life? She has given everything for you," intoned the taiyoukai.

"The human shell loved her once," murmured the god in return, "but I do not. I admire her and keep her out of respect for her sacrifice, but I daresay she has outlived her worth. Even the spawn she created with the human shell is of no value to me. Kikyo is much more my… taste."

Kagome shuddered at his implications, realizing that he was trying to goad Sesshoumaru into an attack that would kill both the mother and the son. It was working too. She felt the wind begin to stir as Sesshoumaru's transformation began. She stepped forward and held out her hands to her mate. "Please, stop! You'll die! So will she!"

Although Sesshoumaru did not spare her a glance in his enraged state, Tenseiga seemed to agree with her. It pulsed its disapproval and the taiyoukai glanced down in surprise. "Again, you will not allow my transformation?" he murmured.

"Perhaps it wants to save you the humiliation of being a crippled mutt," shot Inuyasha.

The inuyoukai ignored his younger brother and looked towards the god. "I released your whore, now release Kaori in return."

Amatsu flushed in anger. "You think that you hold the power here?" he snapped.

"No," acquiesced Sesshoumaru. "I believe that you are honor-bound to hold your end of our unspoken agreement to release our hostages."

Kagome watched as the god's sword began to move across Kaori's skin, leaving a trickle of blood against her pale skin. "You coward! Let her go!" she yelled. He paused and she went on. "This is why Kaori's sons will defeat you! You are nothing but a tyrant who wastes the life around him!"

"Shut up, Kagome!" snarled Amatsu, calling her by her name for once. He seemed perturbed by the fact that all eyes were on him, even those of his two companions.

She pressed on, however, dredging up memories from the book she had found his symbol in so long ago, connecting it with the memories she had gleaned from his mind. "No wonder you're despised among the gods! You're vile! Willing to kill the one creature in the world that would give everything to you! She would kill herself if you asked! You are the lowest of the gods, spat upon by the others." His eyes widened in shock and she knew she had hit a nerve. An inferiority complex. She should have known.

Kaori was suddenly released and Kagome was on her back with the god pressing down on her chest. The hanyou gasped for air as the weight began to crush her. "You know nothing of my place," he growled. "Japan will tremble before me and then the gods will come crashing down to their knees and proclaim me as emperor of all."

"Yeah… right," wheezed Kagome. Over his shoulder, she could see everyone watching them in awe. Sesshoumaru appeared cold and distant as usual, but a soft flicker of emotion through his eyes told her that he understood what she was doing.

Amatsu quickly caught on as well and he pulled back a bit, releasing the pressure on her chest. "You almost had me there," he murmured, a sardonic smile spreading across his face. "You almost made me kill you. Very good."

"I try," Kagome shot back.

He chuckled and leaned forward over her again. "You want to die then? Perhaps that isn't a bad idea after all," he said, laughing harder as fear etched her face. He drew up very close to her, so that only she could hear him. "I will bring you to the brink of death and you will have no choice but to join me to save yourself and your child. At death's door, your heart is darkest."

She heard Sesshoumaru shout in anger and protest as Amatsu's hands lifted up and closed around her neck, squeezing hard. An immediate clash of swords told her that Inuyasha was blocking his path to rescuing her. Kagome could only think that she had lasted longer than she had anticipated and that that was something to be proud of.

She expected to slip into darkness, without oxygen going to her brain and pain running through her body, calling for sustenance. She expected her blood to slow and her heart to stop, even if only for a moment of death.

The hanyou did not expect the surge of power that suddenly flowed through her body or the hissing voice of Amatsu as he pulled his hands away and toppled off of her body. His hands were smoking and blistered, burned from touching her.

Kagome looked at him in wonder as the god tried again and again to heal himself with his power, but failing. Each time it seemed that his black magic was making it worse. She wondered how it was possible. Amatsu had touched her before. He seemed to have a predilection for it and how it unnerved her. What had caused this reaction?

Lifting her hands to her throat, Kagome felt the dragon-hide collar, rising high on her neck, and the silk scarf Kagura had given to her. When she touched the red fabric, she felt a trill of energy. Ripping it off, she stood quickly and marched over to where Amatsu was lying on the grass. The burn was spreading now, covering his wrists and arms. His moans of pain were distracting Kikyo and Inuyasha, who now sported several small injuries as Kagome's friends attacked them. Even Kagura was sweeping large gusts of wind towards the priestess that had harmed her.

With a savage grunt, Kagome wrapped her hands in the front of Amatsu's robe and pulled him to a sitting position. The god tried to send her into oblivion with a snap of energy, but the sparks fizzled at his fingertips. He appeared horrified, the most beautiful expression Kagome had ever seen on him. Without mercy, she wrapped the scarf around his throat and pulled tight.

Amatsu screamed in pain but Kagome felt as if the entire world's power was flowing through her veins. A blinding light surrounded them, forcing the others to stop their battles and hold up their hands to shield their eyes. The hanyou only laughed in triumph as she felt the entirety of a god's power enter her body.

When the light died, Amatsu was unconscious and the half demon was glowing with radiant, pure corona. Her crimson and black hair was now white with golden streaks, complete with gilded dog ears poking out from the top of her head. Eyes of amber, where there was once brown, stared at her mate, soft admiration evident in her gaze.

"Vermin!" screeched Kikyo, pointing her finger at the female hanyou. "What have you done?"

"Nothing but what was asked of us," responded Kagome with distant voice as she bent over to retrieve Tetsusaiga. Straightening up, she fixed the dark miko with a penetrating stare. "You, priestess, have turned your back on the path of virtue. You have killed and tortured those that have not deserved it. For punishing the innocent, you will die."

Kikyo scoffed. "Even if you have temporarily restrained my lord, I still have his protection. I should kill you for even suggesting otherwise." She looked towards Sesshoumaru and the others, where they were standing silently, watching as the scene unfolded before them. "Or perhaps I should kill them. Perhaps that will break this little magic trick of yours!"

Kagome narrowed her eyes, a terrifying gaze that would have intimidated someone with less vanity than the dark miko. "You are condemning yourself to hell as we speak."

"I was condemned long ago!" yelled the priestess.

Wind began to swirl around the hanyou, lifting her radiant hair and letting it wisp across her features. The light emanating from her increased in intensity as Kagome began to grow angry. "You were given a second chance and you squandered it on a quest of vengeance," she intoned, her voice carrying over the wind. "You were only condemned to hell when you made others suffer. It is all you have done with this life and now you will serve your sentence."

Kikyo screamed in protest, running towards Kagome with dark energy rolling off of her in waves. The hanyou deftly dodged her attack and turned to face the priestess again. "Stop this. Repent and we will hear you."

But the dark miko ignored Kagome's last offer of peace, rushing at her again. There was a sing of metal slicing through the air and suddenly the others found themselves staring at Kagome, alone in a cloud of clay and dirt. The priestess had disintegrated with the touch of Tetsusaiga and souls began to escape to the air in droves. Orbs of light danced around them, many escaping into the wind to be carried to heaven or hell. One remained, silently joining with Kagome's body. She sighed, placing a hand over her heart. "We are whole again, then," she said, a slight sadness in her voice. "She did not have to destroy herself."

The wind died and Kagome turned to look at Inuyasha, who was clutching his chest and had fallen to his knees. "Inuyasha, you are dying," the female hanyou murmured.

"Why?" he pled. His eyes were large and liquid, devoid of the mania that had sullied them for so long.

She sailed across the clearing, ignoring the stupefied expressions on her friends' faces, and settling down beside the male hanyou. "Because you were never meant to return to this earth," she explained, brushing his hair away from his face. "Kikyo brought you back with Amatsu's power, but now that she is dead, your unnatural ties to this world are broken."

He smiled, sagging a bit under his own weight. "It feels like a dream. Like I wasn't really here anyway. I had no control over my actions," he said. He turned and wrapped a clawed hand around her wrist. "Please, Kagome, you understand that, right? It wasn't really me."

"We understand," she whispered.

Inuyasha fell to the ground, still holding her wrist. His golden eyes began to cloud over. "Do you still love me, Kagome? Do you forgive me for not winning against Kikyo? If I had… this never would have happened."

"There is nothing to forgive," Kagome answered, using her free hand to wipe away the sweat on his brow. "She was already under the god's influence. It was a lost battle before it began. You died for Kagome's sake and she will not forget that. She loves the Inuyasha that left her that day. She will always remember him."

He gave out a rattling sigh. "Good. You love my brother now too." He laughed a little, making him cough. When he brought his hand away from his mouth, there were flecks of blood upon it, but it didn't seem to bother him. His body was falling apart without dark energy to bind it together. "When I told you to live and be happy, I never thought it would be with him. But I'm glad that you've found someone who can protect you. He promised me that he would."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as he listened to his brother's last words, recalling what he had said by the empty grave so long ago. Had Inuyasha been listening that night?

The male hanyou smiled at Kagome once more. "I still love you. Even in my nightmare with Amatsu, I remembered that I love you. I wish this had gone differently."

Kagome leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead. "Have no regrets, Inuyasha. Sleep now," she murmured against his skin. She felt his breathing slow down and his heart stop. His soul emerged from his body and lingered around Kagome's head, circling it like a halo. It paused briefly in front of Sesshoumaru, who bowed stiffly to his brother's soul, before zooming up into the bright sky, disappearing among the clouds.

She stood up and gazed at the male hanyou's body for a moment. When she finally turned back to her mate and friends, her eyes were a bit sad, but dry. Seeking out Sesshoumaru's gaze, she smiled brilliantly.

"Hello."

Sesshoumaru blinked. "Good afternoon, Kagome. Are you unharmed?"

Her golden eyes flickered over everything and the light in them dimmed. It was the look of a very old, wise woman on the face of a young beauty. It was disconcerting to say the least. "Yes, she is fine but so many are dead. We should help them."

Kagura coughed delicately, holding her makeshift bandages to her chest as gracefully as possible. "Um, Kagome… what's happened to you?"

The white-haired girl smiled. "Kagome is _fine_," she said again. She looked around her once more. The barrier that separated them from the battle was fading and the enemy was beginning to notice that their lord had fallen at the feet of the hanyou. Many of them began to break off from their fights and back away, losing faith quickly. Their own men were standing dazed, watching the enemy that was winning slink off into the forest.

"You mean, you're not Kagome?" asked the wind witch cautiously.

The hanyou tilted her head at the question. "We are one. She is me. I am her. There is nothing more to explain. We are here to help."

"I don't understand how this is possible," said Makoto. "We appreciate you taking care of the enemy, but why did you do that?"

"She said she would protect you," said Kagome, smiling brighter. "Did you forget?"

The taiyoukai, confused by the odd use of pronouns, frowned. "Who is 'she'?"

"I am."

Every head turned to see two figures emerging from what remained of the chaos around them. Except for Kagome, who appeared content and calm, the group was stunned into silence at the unexpected arrival. Hakkaku recovered first. "Asa?" he croaked.

The gardener laughed like chimes ringing on a nearby hill's temple. "Yes, you know me by that name, just as you know him as Haru," she replied, pointing to the lavender and green male beside her. "In truth, he is Daidoku, my cousin and kami of farming. He agreed to accompany me on this little trip. My true name is Amaterasu. I am, as many of you should know, the sun goddess." She waved her hand and their true forms shimmered into view. The cream and orange complexion melted away to show gold and copper while Daidoku became pale skinned with rich brown hair. They both glowed with divinity.

Sesshoumaru went down to one knee, quickly followed by the rest except Kagome, who stared disinterestedly at the kami. The taiyoukai glanced at his mate from the corner of his eye. "Kagome! She is a goddess! Kneel before her."

Amaterasu laughed again and shook her head. "Oh no, that's not necessary. Kagome is just as divine as I am at the moment. Please, everyone, get up."

Hesitantly, the group rose to their feet. Kagura looked back and forth between her friend and the sun goddess. "What happened here?" She gazed across the field, which was quickly emptying of the enemy forces. "How are they going to pay for what they've done here?"

"Well, that is all up to Kagome," answered Amaterasu. "I sold that scarf to you, Kagura, because I knew you would give it to her. I told you it was for luck and indeed, I wove an especially clever spell into it. It took Amatsu's energy upon contact and transferred it to Kagome while purifying it. She has the power of a god right now, even more so than Amatsu did in his human shell because she does not have the cloud of dark magic."

"Excuse me for asking, but why couldn't you have just helped us yourself?" asked the sorceress. Her bandage was turning scarlet beneath her hands. "We almost died. Numerous times. Some of us _did_ die."

Amaterasu smiled, something that inexplicably warmed all of their hearts. "We do not interfere in mortal lives very often, my dear Kagura. The only reason we came to your plane at all was because it concerned one of our own, Amatsu Mikaboshi. We disguised ourselves and secured jobs as gardeners at Sesshoumaru's household to keep an eye on things and intervene when we felt it was absolutely necessary."

The taiyoukai groaned inwardly, remembering how he had brushed off Asa and Haru when they had arrived, telling them as long as they did their work and kept their mouths shut, they would have a job. He had been rude to gods. He was rarely horrified at his own actions, but this certainly topped the list.

"Besides," the goddess continued with a knowing smile towards the inuyoukai, "we knew we would have to come down eventually. Even if you had managed the task without our help completely, you have no method of containing a god, or returning him to his place in the heavens."

Sesshoumaru turned sharply to look at the still unconscious Amatsu. "You mean that after all he has done to us, he will live?"

"Not even gods can destroy another god's life without true reason," murmured Kagome.

"Quite right," agreed Daidoku. "Destroy the human shell if you wish. He is dangerous to mortal men, for he still possesses his sorcery. But Amatsu usually has very little power in the hearts of mankind because creatures of this world are inherently good. He simply took advantage of a strange situation, turning a vague prophecy into his own."

The taiyoukai frowned. "The prophecy seemed very clear to me."

Amaterasu laughed again, making Sesshoumaru feel rather childlike. "Amatsu didn't tell you the true prophecy, he made up those words that he told to you. The true prophecy reads like this. _Half-demon, priestess and the girl that will become both will rise to eminence one after another. Power unsurpassed, they can to the dark or the light. The manner of their lives and deaths will foretell the future of the world._

"So you see, Amatsu easily interpreted that to mean that as long as they were alive and had dark hearts, he could rule the world." She grinned at the taiyoukai's skeptical expression. "Good! You doubt the veracity of the words. A sign of a great leader is his ability to judge things for himself. Do not place all faith into the words of seers who may or may not be correct. Amatsu did and he paid for his overconfidence."

Daidoku crossed the clearing and knelt down beside Amatsu, placing a hand over his heart. When he lifted it away, a dark orb of light rested in his palm. "We will take him back to the heavens and make sure that he does not escape again. He has broken the cardinal rule and interfered with mortal life. It will not be overlooked, I assure you."

Makoto eyed the ball of energy. "That's a god, then? Not very big is he?"

"You could call his obsession with power a compensatory technique," laughed Amaterasu, making the old celestial flush a bit. She clapped her hands once. "Now then! Kagome, come here."

The white haired hanyou walked towards the goddess and inclined her head. "Yes, my lady?"

The shimmering deity turned serious for a moment. "It is your task to clean up this mess. Amatsu laid waste to Japan and you must use his purified power to restore it. Raise the dead, grow the crops, send the shadows back to heaven or to hell."

Sesshoumaru looked around to see thousands upon thousands of shadow creatures now standing around them, silently waiting. Without a conscious leader, they seemed to have lost their way. "What are they?" he asked.

"Souls," responded the goddess. "Souls that have been twisted beyond recognition and given extraordinary powers. These were the darkest hearts that Amatsu could find over the centuries that he had to lay in wait for Kagome and the other two to arrive on the scene. He had much time to prepare this battle. He didn't want to compete with Naraku and so he stood in the shadows, collecting followers."

"Why couldn't Kagome purify them then?" Kagura asked, curiosity taking hold.

"They were human once. She cannot purify human souls," replied Amaterasu patiently. Seeing that there were no more questions from the stunned group of friends, she turned back to Kagome. "Remember, my girl. You have the power of a god but it is limited. By the time the sun sets, you will be a hanyou again. And it is possible to exhaust your power before then, if you do something drastic, like give immortal life."

Kagome nodded, taking every word into consideration. "We are prepared to restore Japan," she said. "What will happen to us afterwards, my lady?"

Amaterasu smiled again. "You will live with your mate and have your child in a peaceful land, of course."

"The well… is it still open? What will happen to us?" she repeated.

The sun goddess placed a hand on Kagome's silky white and gold hair. "The well has a mind of its own. It remains open for you and your new family to pass through. It will close eventually, when your grandfather dies, because the miko power in your blood comes from him. It will sever the link between generations and you will have to live throughout history. Do you understand?" She smiled as Kagome nodded again. "Good. Get to work then."

"You are leaving," stated the hanyou, sliding a hand around Amaterasu's wrist.

The deity laughed again. "Yes, my girl. I have spent months in this place and now I must return. One day, I will see you again, but that day is far in the future. Live well."

Amaterasu and Daidoku bid their farewells and vanished in an ocean of light.

"Not big on the long good-byes, are they?" muttered Kagura. The others agreed with quick nods.

Kagome did not pay heed to them, instead turning to the carnage of the field. Shadows roamed restlessly amongst the bodies of the fallen, no longer knowing if they could feed or if they should flee. She beckoned the Shadow, the one who had squeezed the blood from her hand and taunted her in the first battle. "Take your companions and leave this world," she said.

Her voice had barely fallen silent before the earth rumbled and the shadows began to disappear with wisps of smoke in their wake. Most screamed as they were dragged down to hell, their long forestalled punishment finally taking hold, but some turned to orbs of pure souls and escaped to heaven.

"That's it?" said the wind witch, watching the shadows fade away. "After all they put us through…" She trailed off and threw her hands up into the air. She swore as the bandage fell away, exposing her wound. "If you can do something about this, I'd appreciate it!" she called to the oblivious hanyou.

Kagome lifted her own hands into the air, as if she was praising the sun. Hundreds of thousands of bodies followed her movements, coming off of the grass and gasping in one breath as light poured their souls back into their bodies. Only Inuyasha and Amatsu remained on the ground. Even the blood was wiped off the ground and broken blades were restored. Kagura and the others gave little sighs as sunlight swept over them, closing their gashes and removing their bruises and aches.

"Handy trick," murmured Ruri, watching as her sliced hand sealed up, the skin knitting together without leaving a scar.

"Do you think we'll come out of this without any losses?" asked Keitaro, watching in awe as the long dead troops tested out their restored flesh and bone.

Ginta squinted into the sun, watching the burial ground in the barracks, now exposed to the eye where the shadows had toppled the walls. "Doesn't look like it. Those souls are long gone, I guess." He grimaced. "I hope she fixes the city up a little. Looks a bit of a wreck."

Without turning around, Kagome nodded. "We will manage all that is necessary to restore Japan."

The wolf's eyes widened slightly, surprised that she had heard him. "Oh, okay. Thanks."

As the hanyou began to repair the damage done to the city and the crops with a few waves of her hand, Sesshoumaru's attention shifted and walked over to Amatsu's prone figure.

"What're you doing, boy?" asked Makoto, coming to his side.

"The god said I could kill the human shell," answered Sesshoumaru.

"What about Kaori?"

The son looked at his mother, who had been standing silently across the clearing. He had almost forgotten about her. She seemed perfectly unharmed except the absence of light in her eyes, telling him that she still lacked a soul. "Perhaps Kagome can restore her."

"Perhaps," agreed the celestial, "but maybe she would prefer to kill the human herself. You lost a mother, I know, but she lost her soul and two sons' lives. Speaking of which, shouldn't the other one be here by now?"

Kagome, sending wave after wave of lush greenery throughout the land with a touch of her hand to the grass, looked at them over her shoulder. "We have told you that he will be here," she said with an encouraging smile. "He will be sorry that he missed our victory though."

"Hn," muttered the taiyoukai. Now that triumph was given over to them, he wasn't so sure that he wanted another half-demon brother around. Especially not one that was imbued with the power of a god. Next to him, Makoto smirked, easily guessing the younger leader's thoughts.

The demi-goddess stood up and brushed off her hands. They were now standing in pristine grassland with thousands of very confused soldiers.

"They're going to want an explanation for this," pointed out Makoto.

Sesshoumaru wasn't sure he wanted to give one. He didn't even understand what had happened there on the field, when defeat had been so close. But he nodded anyway. "They will get one."

Kagome appeared at his side. "We have healed Japan of its physical wounds," she said, breathing rather hard. "We are tired."

Makoto looked up at the sun, surprised to see that it was well into the afternoon. "You have a few hours left yet. I'm surprised that you feel drained already."

"We have little else to do," answered Kagome. She smiled at Sesshoumaru. "We will restore your mother though and bring back those in the caves. They must see our triumph so that they can stop worrying."

"We still have spies," pointed out the taiyoukai.

Kagome shook her head. "We left them deceased. It would be a waste of power to resurrect those that you were going to execute for treason."

"She has a point," said Makoto with a small smile. "Who were they?"

"The weasel demon that helped us find Nami, guarded the wolves on their first day here and reported your arrival," she replied. "And Bunjiro, the demon that insulted us in the hallway once. They were not very good at keeping it hidden from us, but they are insignificant, unable to do much more than speak of our whereabouts and set fire to food."

"It was almost enough," said the taiyoukai with a little annoyance.

Kagome nodded mechanically. "Yes, but all has been restored." She walked up to Kaori and pressed a hand to the base of the demoness's throat. "As will she."

"How? Her soul was destroyed."

"No, we said that it had disintegrated. Amatsu lied when he said it was consumed by the fires of hell, and we did not know at the time if it was true. Her soul has broken within her, but it has not disappeared. Anyone inferior to us would not have the power to repair it." She looked at the taiyoukai. "She did not deserve this treatment. It is our job to give new life."

Kaori sucked in air greedily, color coming back into her eyes as Kagome's hand glowed with divine power. She teetered on her feet, but managed to stay upright as Kagome backed away, allowing Sesshoumaru to gaze upon his true mother for the first time in centuries. Kagome had even taken the care to repair her kimono, making her a resplendent lady once again.

The inuyoukai and celestial bowed to the demoness, and creaking of armor told them that the others bowed as well behind them. "My lady," murmured Sesshoumaru, "it is good to see you once again."

"Who… who are you?" she said tremulously, as if she hadn't spoken for years. Her voice was dry and scratchy.

"I am your son," he replied, pulling himself up to his full height. "Lord of the Western Lands, Sesshoumaru."

A hard gleam came into her eyes. "Thank you," she said stiffly, "but my son has been dead for years. He died when he was just ten. Do not mock your elder, pup."

"How can you look upon me and say that I have died?" the inuyoukai questioned. "I have my father's tail and your markings upon my face. My scent alone should tell you that I speak the truth. You are my mother, lost to me for centuries."

Kaori laughed without mirth. "I have seen many things that have turned out to be false. You are one of those mirages." She stepped closer to her son. "You are too cold to be my child. He was warm and happy, although perhaps a bit too studious sometimes."

"Much has changed since you left the West," he replied, narrowing his eyes.

"Left? I have never left the Western Lands," scoffed the demoness. "I have remained here for centuries, caring for my mate and mourning the loss of my sons. Yes, I lost two," she added seeing their raised eyebrows.

Kagome placed a hand on Kaori's shoulder, ignoring her flinch. "She has false memories, much like our time with the god. They will fade and her true past will come to light soon enough."

"Can't you do it for her?" asked Makoto, as he stared at a now perplexed and miffed Kaori.

The temporary goddess shook her head. "We could harm her if we did that. It is best to allow the memories return on their own. It will not take long. A few days or weeks at most."

"Who are you?" Kaori asked the gleaming girl.

"We are your son's mate," Kagome replied. The dog demoness frowned deeply but remained silent, choosing instead to stare at Sesshoumaru, her brow wrinkled in concentration. Kagome, meanwhile, looked up at the sun, moving rapidly across the sky. "It is time to perform our final task and then we will sleep."

Makoto followed her gaze. "I still say that you have hours left of your power."

"We have nothing else to do that would not disturb the natural order of this life. Giving immortal life, even if it is meant to happen, will drain us of our power. It is what our goddess said."

Sesshoumaru's eyes alighted with surprise. Within his heart, he did not need a name for this last assignment his mate had to address. He knew who would receive the gift. "You can do this?"

She nodded. "We can. It is the goddess's will that you receive reward for your diligence in this war. This is what you desire the most, is it not?" She snapped her fingers and suddenly a large crowd of dusty, damp demons surrounded them. It had not been like Amatsu's method of transporting people through space, with the crude ripping of the material plane and the nausea suffered by his subjects. The youkai merely melted into place around the hanyou and her companions. The guards with the tired, worried demons tensed until they spotted their lord.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, we have won the battle?" one of them asked, smiling when the taiyoukai nodded absently.

A loud cheer rose from all those that had been sent to the caves for safety. Nami emerged from the crowd, grinning giddily with Rin and Washi in tow. She spared a bow for Sesshoumaru, before leaving the children beside him and running to Keitaro in joy. The other females of the group began to disperse and cries of happiness rang through the air as they found their fathers, mates, brothers and sons.

The little girl and boy embraced their adoptive parents in turn, muttering unintelligibly about how worried they had been. "What happened to you, Mama?" asked Rin, as soon as she pulled away. "You're glowing."

"We are giving you a gift," the hanyou responded with a smile, "so that you may live with us for a very long time."

Rin's eyes widened in comprehension and she clapped her hands. "Will I be a demon like Sesshoumaru-sama?"

"No," stepped in the taiyoukai. "I forbid it. A human she is and a human she will remain." He looked at the pouting girl. "To change that would be to change you, Rin. This Sesshoumaru is fond of the present one."

Kagome seemed to understand before he even said the words, however. She summoned her energy, feeling it curl inside her heart, ready for expulsion. "We are ready to rest," she murmured, touching Rin upon her forehead. A pulse of light traveled down her arm and into the little girl, leaving a perfect crescent upon her brow.

Sesshoumaru gazed at his ward for a moment, pleased that she would not be taken from him in sixty years' time. The swaying movement of his mate quickly attracted his attention and arched a brow. "Kagome? Are you unwell?" he asked, moving to her side.

"I'm so tired," she said, her words slurred with drowsiness. She smiled up at him. "You _were_ worried, when I fainted last time. But don't be concerned now… I will just sleep for a bit."

"You were marvelous, my girl," spoke up Makoto.

Kagome leaned against Sesshoumaru's chest and laughed softly. "I suppose so. See, Sesshoumaru? There must be demons in the future. We won't be alone."

The taiyoukai nodded, feeling the dead weight of his mate settling against him. Her eyes were drifting close as he swept her up, holding her with his arm and tail. The gold and white hair was fading, leaving crimson and black in its place. He could see her golden eyes settle into brown once again and the corona of light evaporated, leaving an ordinary hanyou in his grasp.

As her eyes slid shut, as the feeling of power left her, Kagome could see a figure coming towards them through the crowd of jubilant demons. _Kamlyn._

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A/N: This was supposed to be longer, but I cut out a lot of the scene with Amaterasu and Daidoku – it was getting pedantic and, quite frankly, boring. I know that it was rather deus ex machina (i.e. totally from left field and dumb luck) but I wanted Kagome to reach a point where she was the complete opposite from the monster she became under Amatsu's hold. I could only really do that by giving her a god's power, so that left me the problem of how she would get it and how I wouldn't make it obvious to you guys. I hope I succeeded in that at least. For those of you wondering, Asa means "born at dawn" – very appropriate for a sun goddess in disguise – and Haru means "born in spring" – appropriate for the god of farming, which is what Daidoku controls. The next chapter is the last "real" chapter and then there's an epilogue. I hope I don't disappoint. Thanks for sticking with me this long.

Review responses removed due to ban


	29. The Well

A/N: READ THIS PLEASE. Thanks. Okay, first off, I'm deeply sad that I have to end this story with the next update (which will be an epilogue). This is the last chapter and I've become deeply attached to this story – it's been going on for over a year after all. On the other hand, I'm glad that it's done, because I can move on to other things that have been stewing in my mind for a year or more. My next fic will be Inuyasha/Kagome – an AU based on the fairytale "Thousandfurs", about a princess who has to hide from her father as a scullery maid in a neighboring kingdom. Naturally, there's a prince and there are dances and there's love. It shouldn't be nearly as long as this one and I hope that even those of you who are rabid Sesshoumaru/Kagome fans will read it, since I really think it's quite a nice plot. It will begin soon enough, but expect a few weeks' break between the finish of this and the start of the next fic, since I'll be visiting Canada and moving back to Austin in a bit.

Secondly, I am considering a SHORT sequel to this fic. By short, I mean like five chapters. I'm not making any promises, but I will take readers' opinions into account. If I do not do it, I hope that you will all understand and not hate me forever.

Thirdly, I had to make up names for Kagome's mother and grandfather. Understand that I'm not claiming these names to be their "true" names – I pretty much pulled them out of a hat.

Lastly, I am so INCREDIBLY grateful to everyone who has ever reviewed this story, whether it was one time or every chapter. I adore you all and you make my days a bit happier. I'm glad you like my writing so much and again, I hope you stick with me as I move onto other stories. And now, the penultimate chapter of _The Broken Miko_…

The Broken Miko

Chapter 29: The Well

The messenger stood silently, waiting for the scrolls that Sesshoumaru and Makoto signed in turn. The dog demon dripped red wax on them and pressed his stamp into the drying liquid, leaving his family's crest. "Take a copy to the Eastern Lord and one to the Southern Lord. Wait for their replies. They should have them ready if they are wise."

Makoto chuckled under his breath. "Those two? Responsible? It's unlikely."

The taiyoukai growled his agreement and dismissed the messenger with a wave of his hand. "It would be much more convenient to crush them."

"Now, now, my boy, we both know that we don't have those resources. None of us have a god on our side anymore, so I think it's best to leave things as they are." He stared out the window at Sesshoumaru's back, looking at the deep blue sky of the approaching sunset. "They say that they were under Amatsu's control anyway."

"Lies," snapped the taiyoukai.

The celestial shrugged, his eyes locking with his younger companion's. "Of course they were lying, but we have no proof to the contrary. Despite Lady Kagome's healing of Japan, you still have thousands of demons dead, as do I, and as do the other two lords. We cannot pretend that we came out of the ordeal unscathed."

Sesshoumaru scowled down at his paperwork, but nodded. After the battle, Lord Kuma and Lord Kin had shown up on his doorstep with simpering smiles, trying to beg off their betrayals. They had been tricked, they said. When a god appears and announces that the West and North had become corrupt, what were they supposed to believe?

Only the need for peace had stopped the taiyoukai from ripping out the two lords' throats. That, and Makoto's subtle reminder that without a god, Kuma and Kin were little better than idiots on thrones that their fathers gave them. No one would fear the South or East any longer.

Still, Sesshoumaru wasn't about to invite the two over for tea any time soon. At least the South and East lords realized that their counsel would no longer be welcome. They were no longer allies, only neighbors, and both Sesshoumaru and Makoto had warned them that any further attacks would earn them extermination.

"Has the girl woken up yet?" asked the celestial, interrupting Sesshoumaru's thoughts.

The tip of Sesshoumaru's tail swished back and forth on the floor in irritation. "No."

Makoto frowned. "It's been four days. The goddess didn't mention anything about this."

The taiyoukai remained silent, his brush whispering across a parchment. He had filled the last four days with speeches to his court, inspecting his troops and city, and speaking with Kamlyn and his mother, but he could not shake the doubt from his mind. What if Kagome never woke up? She was still lying, pale and with shallow breaths, in his bed downstairs. Each night, he slept in a chair by the fire for a few fitful hours, finally waking up to see that her condition had not changed.

Amaterasu be damned, he thought savagely. Japan would have recovered as she had left things as they were. Kagome did not need to sacrifice her life for earth and the blood of a few demons.

The old celestial gazed at Sesshoumaru, easily guessing the content of his mind. "She would have done it, you know," he said, leaning back against the cushion. "Even if the goddess told her that it would kill her, Kagome would have restored the land and the lives of the soldiers. She's 'predictably human' like that."

The taiyoukai glowered at him, irritated that Makoto could so effortlessly know what was concerning him. "The girl will be fine," he replied.

"Of course," the Northern lord agreed as he stood up. "Even so, I think you should go and visit her. You've barely spent more than three hours in that room since she passed out. Are you avoiding her? Surely you can't be afraid of a little hanyou who is asleep?"

Sesshoumaru swiftly got to his feet. "How dare you insinuate— "

"You're going then?" interrupted Makoto. "Good." He stretched and glanced out the window again. "My, my, we've been at this paperwork all day. Do you think they still have dinner set out?" he asked. Without waiting for an answer, the celestial turned and walked out of the study.

The taiyoukai glared at the closed door, clenching his fist around the calligraphy brush that he still held. The ink dripped onto the floor for long minutes, until he finally threw it down on his desk and marched out of the circular room and down to the third floor. It was empty. He had reinstated the ban upon common youkai coming into the East wing, so no guards remained.

Drawing out a large, ancient key, he unlocked his apartments. It ground into the lock, protesting its disuse over the years. The bolt slid back into its casing and he pushed open the doors, walking into a cloud of mandarin scent. Kagome's constant presence had blanketed the apartments in her aroma.

He opened the double doors to his bedroom and arched an eyebrow.

"Good evening," Kagome said pleasantly, sitting underneath the covers with her hands folded across her lap. "I don't mean to be rude, Sesshoumaru, but I'm really hungry."

"How long have you been awake?" he asked, ignoring her complaint.

She shrugged. "An hour? Maybe more? You locked me in and I couldn't get back to sleep, so I've just been sitting here. You need a bookshelf in this room."

The taiyoukai sat on the edge of the bed farthest from his mate. "Are you unharmed?"

"You asked me that already."

He arched an eyebrow. "I have not."

She laughed, pushing back the covers and crawling over the mattress to his side. Sitting on her heels, Kagome took a lock of his hair and began to twirl it through her fingers. "Yes, you did. Right after Inuyasha died, remember?"

Sesshoumaru didn't really remember, but it didn't sound out of the realm of possibility, so he nodded. "Then you remember your time as a goddess?"

Kagome dropped the rope of hair that she was braiding sloppily. It immediately unraveled. "Yes."

He turned his head and looked at her directly for the first time. She appeared suddenly sullen and his heart clenched a bit. "You… enjoyed it then?" he asked. "You will seek to become a goddess once again?" It was the question he had spent four days pondering. How could she live a normal, mortal life with him when she had touched divinity?

The hanyou gasped and clutched at his empty sleeve. "No!" she insisted. "That's not it at all. In fact, I was just thinking how horrible it had been."

"Liar," he muttered, trying to stand.

She pulled him back down with surprising strength and glared at him. "Look at you! I never thought I would see you, of all people, being moody and depressed." She sighed and embraced him around the shoulders, glad that he wasn't wearing his armor. "I didn't like it and that's the truth."

"Why? You had the power of life and death."

Kagome shrugged, letting her head rest beneath his chin. "It was nice at first. I was still me, but it was like I had this extremely powerful friend with me, helping me set things right. But once Inuyasha died, I kind of got pushed to the background. The power in me was taking over, doing what it had to do. I don't resent that, but I lost touch. Little things like Kagura's injury didn't bother me. I didn't notice how green I was making the grass or how I had saved peoples' family members. It was just about 'restoring Japan'."

"You gave Rin immortal life," he pointed out.

"I told you. It was your reward. It was just a little part of a bigger picture. I cared, but it wasn't really about Rin. It was about completing my mission." She sighed, ruffling his hair. "I still knew you as my mate and that I loved you, but I forgot why."

Sesshoumaru growled deep in his chest. His hand tightened into a fist, drawing blood as his claws dug into his palm.

"Don't do that," Kagome murmured, uncurling his fingers with her own. "I remember now." She got up to fetch a clean cloth and bent over him, blotting the red liquid.

He stared down at the rivulets of blood on his pale skin. Both gods had forced her to forget her own mate. He felt that he had every right to be irritated, but didn't say so. "I love you, Kagome," he said instead.

The hanyou's head jerked up, wincing as her neck muscles protested. "You said it."

"I did."

She blinked slowly. "Why?"

"Why do I love you or why did I say it?" he asked, taking the cloth from her stilled hands and squeezing it within his palm to stem the blood flow. He had cut himself quite deeply.

Kagome flattened her ears against her head, sat down again and frowned. "How about both?"

"I said it because it is true. I do not know _why_ I feel that way. I do not examine my emotions as carefully as some do," he said, carefully avoiding any insult to humans or half-demons. "I suppose I love you for the same reasons you love this Sesshoumaru."

She arched an eyebrow and leaned back on her hands. "You love me because I'm an emotionally closed-off jerk who despite all the intelligence in the world, insists upon being stubborn and rather bloodthirsty?"

"Yes."

Kagome laughed and drew him into a tight embrace that he hesitantly returned. When they pulled apart, she was sniffling and her eyes were glistening with tears. "I'm happy," she explained when she noticed his skeptical look.

"I see that," he replied. "Do not expect proclamations of my feelings often, Kagome."

She rubbed at her nose and nodded. "I know. About once every thousand years, I'm guessing? That's fine with me." Kagome smirked at him. "Actions speak louder than words anyway, or so they say."

Sesshoumaru growled and grabbed her, making her shriek with laughter. He looked down to where his only arm was wrapped around her waist. "You could have restored my arm as well," he said with an arched brow.

The hanyou brushed her hands over his shoulders. "I suppose. It wasn't in the plan, so it didn't happen." She smiled. "Besides, I like it when you use your tail instead."

"I could have done that with _both_ of my arms just as easily."

She pulled him close, dropping kisses on his brow and temples. "Well, I'll just have to make it up to you, won't I?" she murmured with a wink.

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Kagome's hands fidgeted with the hem of her kimono as she sat beside the table. The cranes embroidered on the edges seemed to wiggle with nervousness along with her. "When are they getting here?" she asked, looking towards the door for at least the fourth time in as many minutes.

"Soon," her mate replied.

Just as Sesshoumaru was about to bind Kagome's hands to the table to stop her nervous tic, the door slid open. The pair stood up as Kaori and Kamlyn entered the room. They bowed to each other and, pleasantries exchanged, stood staring at one another. Finally, Kagome cracked a smile. "The water for the tea is… um, hot. Let's sit and enjoy, hmm?"

Kaori, resplendent in a midnight blue kimono, sat down delicately at the low table, keeping her sleeves away from the chinaware. She was not as pale as Kagome had seen her on the battlefield and there was a stern, observant glint in her eyes that had not been there before. Beside her, Kamlyn appeared unsettled, with his long, black hair flowing down across his shoulders and his rust colored eyes flickering over the room's interior. Stripes graced his cheekbones as his mother bore a familiar crescent moon upon her brow.

Sesshoumaru had told her that, although Kamlyn was still technically a half-demon, he would appear to be full-blooded. In the four days that she had been unconscious, the taiyoukai had gleaned from his brother and mother what Kagome had already known. Kamlyn was graced with enough godly power to make him appear as a demon, but not enough to surpass that point. Sesshoumaru had described his new brother as stubborn and tiring. Kagome, naturally, took this to mean that Kamlyn had had the courage to disagree with his elder brother and had succeeded in annoying him, as all good younger brothers do. Unlike this first introduction to Kaori, Kagome had rather looked forward to meeting her new brother-in-law.

As soon as she noticed that she had served her elders in silence, it began to unnerve her. The hanyou took her own cup and sat back on her heels, but did not drink. The questions she had anticipated from the moment her new relatives had stepped inside the room were not long in coming.

"My son tells me that you are pregnant with the heir to the Western Lands," said Kaori, fixing her dark brown, almost black, eyes upon Kagome.

At least she acknowledges Sesshoumaru as her son, the hanyou thought, irritated already. "Yes, my lady," she replied dutifully with a bow of her head. "I hope that your grandchild will continue this territory's great history." She peeked out of the corner of her eye at Sesshoumaru, who from the calm way he was sipping his tea, she guessed was inwardly applauding her answer.

"Hmm. I have also heard a rather fanciful tale of your origins. Are you truly from another time and place that we have never seen? Or was that simply a joke on an old woman?"

Kagome scrunched her nose, surprised that they had reached this topic with only the second question. She wanted to say that Kaori was hardly an old woman. She didn't look a day over twenty-five actually, but Kagome thought that that would be a bit too much of brown-nosing and Kaori didn't seem like the type to put up with that. "I believe that Sesshoumaru-sama is incapable of being so deceitful, my lady," she said instead. "I am truly from place five hundred years in the future. An enchanted well kept the passage between times open for me and until many months ago, I traveled back and forth quite frequently."

Kaori pursed her lips. "Yes, Sesshoumaru told me as much. Tell me, do you plan to take the heir to the West to this time of yours?"

"Of course," Kagome replied, without thinking. She flinched a bit and tried to recover. "My lady, my mother and family would like to meet the child."

"Is it dangerous?"

The hanyou looked up, a fire unintentionally flaring in her eyes. "My children will not be in danger in any time or place as long as I am alive, my lady. I am sure that my lord would say the same."

The elder demoness nodded, the first sign that she had approved of anything Kagome had to say. "And you have two other children?" she asked. "They are not yours, but you keep them?"

"I do not abandon my children," Kagome said, trying to emphasize her previous point, but as soon as she said it, the hanyou realized how it had sounded. Kaori's eyes were now narrowed and angry. "I did not mean… my lady, I surely do not fault you for events beyond your control… No mother would ever leave a child… by their own will, I mean. That's all I meant to say." She was flushing uncontrollably now and Sesshoumaru had stopped drinking his tea. The cup was hovering three inches from his mouth as he gazed at her in incredulity.

She stood up, placing her cup upon the table with more force than necessary. "I believe that concludes my interview with your new mate, my son," Kaori explained tersely, not even looking at Kagome any longer.

Recovering from his astonishment gracefully, Sesshoumaru rose to his feet, followed by Kagome and Kamlyn. "Of course, my lady," he replied, bowing from the waist. He was stiff in his movements and Kagome knew that she would be receiving the colder end of personality for quite a long time. "It was a pleasure to see you this afternoon." He looked at Kagome, demanding with his eyes that she make some last ditch attempt to smooth things over.

The hanyou bowed deeply to her mother-in-law. "It was indeed a pleasure to finally meet you, my lady," she said, her eyes on the practically untouched tea on the table below her. Losing her head completely, she went on, "That is, when I'm not a goddess and you're not soulless." Mentally smacking herself, Kagome stood straight and kept her eyes from what was sure to be a passionately angry Sesshoumaru.

Laughter, however, broke through the thick gloom of the space and Kagome looked up to see Kaori chuckling behind her hand. "That was quite brave," she said approvingly, once her laugh had subsided a bit.

"Huh?" asked Kagome, leaving all semblance of manners at the door.

"You took charge of this room," Kaori said. "You reminded me of who was the host and who was the guest. I am no longer Lady of the Western Lands and you took me out of that place. Your earlier comment was rather clumsy, but you should not let a guest's rudeness ruin your afternoon. Very commendable."

Kagome blinked a few times. First, she was being interrogated and now congratulated? She considered the possibility that she hadn't put the soul back in correctly, but decided to take the change of personality at face value. She bowed again. "Thank you, my lady."

The former Lady of the West sat back down at the table, waiting patiently as the other three settled themselves once again. "When I was first brought to the city, when I met Inutaisho, I made some horrible errors in judgement," she said. "Sesshoumaru's grandmother was so domineering that I thought she would throw me right out of the gates, but she kept me and congratulated my own mother for raising a daughter that could do more than giggle at poor jokes and simper after handsome males. She told me to keep the same in mind for when I saw my own son's mates. I didn't have any say in Sesshoumaru's choice, obviously, but I do think that I approve of you, my dear girl."

The hanyou smiled genuinely and bobbed her head in thanks. "I look forward to proving myself time and again to you, my lady."

Kaori gave the soft smile of an elder female in return. "Of course. Now, tell us about this home of yours."

Kamlyn, silent until now, lifted his head from his tea and nodded. "We have not been sure if we should believe what my brother says. I had thought that someone so famous for his impassive nature could have such a whimsical imagination."

Next to her, Sesshoumaru seemed to blanch slightly as his name was connected to the word 'whimsical'. Kagome held back a smirk and leaned over the table. "It depends. What has he been telling you?"

"I have simply repeated to them what you have told me yourself about dishonorable men, cures for diseases and large buildings made entirely of metal," said Sesshoumaru softly, glaring at his younger brother.

Kamlyn laughed a bit and smirked at his new sister. "He mentioned something about flying metal birds too."

The hanyou instantly recalled trying to explain the concept of airplanes to Washi and Rin during one of their lessons. They hadn't grasped the idea at all, but it appeared that Sesshoumaru had been listening and had a clearer picture of it. "It's true actually," she said, making Kamlyn widen his eyes in amazement. "They're called airplanes and they're made of metal and fly while people sit inside of them to get from one place to another."

"When did these contraptions come to our world?" asked Kaori, now slightly awe-struck and not as prim as she had been a few minutes before.

"Well, they were invented by humans. Two brothers actually." She watched as Kamlyn's mouth opened to ask another question and raised her hand to stop him. "Don't ask me how they work, because I never really figured it out myself. In four hundred years, you'll see it yourself."

They continued to chat about the future for quite a bit, wearing out Kagome quite quickly. She had felt quite stupid as she was asked to explain electricity, computers and polyester. It had stretched her mental capacities for the day. Kaori noticed immediately and switched topics to center around her sons, asking them a barrage of questions about the future of the West, referring to Kagome only as to not exclude her from the conversation.

"Mother, I am the younger son," protested Kamlyn, in response to Kaori's fifth question about his plans to begin his own family. "I have plenty of time to find a suitable female and impregnate her, as Sesshoumaru so adeptly managed to do." He grinned as Kaori's attention shifted back to the taiyoukai.

He quickly realized that this had been an incorrect tactic as his mother looked at Sesshoumaru with glowing appreciation. "That's precisely what I mean, Kamlyn. You should find someone that makes you happy, although a bit of power wouldn't hurt, and mate with her."

The younger son rolled his eyes, but gave a vague grunt of agreement.

Kaori stood up and looked at the taiyoukai. "It's getting late. I have just remembered that Makoto-sama is leaving tomorrow. We need to oversee the feast preparations. It's almost time. I don't know if I trust Jaken for this. I can't believe that little toad is still around."

"Feast?" asked Kagome, shaking herself out of her reverie. She had zoned out of the last twenty minutes of conversation. "No one told me that Lord Makoto was leaving us. Or anything about a feast." She now understood why Kaori was dressed so well compared to her rather casual kimono.

Something that almost passed as guilt shaded Sesshoumaru's eyes for a moment. "I apologize. I had forgotten. Makoto needs to return to his territory. You repaired the land, Kagome, but there are many political issues that we must all work out still. You should change into something more befitting of the occasion." He nodded towards his brother. "I am sure Kamlyn will accompany you to the East wing while I attend to the feast preparations."

Kagome sighed in resignation and got up. "Sure. Have fun then," she said, waving at the backs of her mate and mother-in-law. She looked over at Kamlyn. "I suppose we should go?"

Her brother-in-law bowed and let her pass through the door first, quickly falling into step with her. "Actually, sister, I am happy that we have this occasion to speak. I have something to ask you, if I may."

"Go for it," she replied with a smile.

"You are friends with Kagura, the wind sorceress, aren't you?"

Kagome nodded with a strong feeling as to where this was going. "I've known her for years, although she only recently became a friend. Why?"

"I have had the opportunity to meet her several times in the last few days. She is intriguing to say the least. Is she inclined to… take up a relationship?" he asked. He wasn't accustomed to being delicate, considering his long incarceration with his father, but he understood that, when talking with females, they took unkindly to crude words.

Instead giving a guarded answer, as he expected, Kagome laughed. "Kagura is always inclined, as you put it. Keeping her inclined is a different matter altogether," she replied, amazed at her friend's ability to ensnare such a valuable male in such a short span of time. Then again, what else could she expect from the red-eyed vixen?

Kamlyn grinned. "So she would be a challenge then?"

"Yes," Kagome said with a smile. "I hope you like challenges?"

"Very much so," chuckled Kamlyn.

Kagome wagged a finger in his face. "Just be good to her. I don't want to hear any sob stories from one of my best friends that my mate's brother did her wrong."

The dark hanyou held up a hand to his heart. "If that sorceress looked upon me with even half of the love you display to my brother, then I would be insane to hurt her in any way."

She recalled what Nami had said about mates' souls knowing on sight if they were meant for each other. What takes one brother four years, takes another two months and yet another two days. She smiled at the thought. "I'm sure you wouldn't do anything of the kind. I'm sure that, out of all the males in this city, you have quite a good chance, being my lord's brother." She didn't mention that Kagura had first taken a liking to Sesshoumaru.

"I was given a title," said Kamlyn. "I am to be my brother's councilor on human affairs."

Kagome frowned. "I've never heard of that office. When did this happen?"

He grinned. "We were talking about it not ten minutes ago, neesan. Sesshoumaru said that he needed someone to deal with the fact that we live side by side with humans every day, especially since he knows that humans will one day far outnumber us. He would have given the job to you, I believe, but you are already going to be busy with the heir. There will also be an ambassador from the North, your friend Keitaro, so he can stay here with his mate, Nami."

The female hanyou blushed a bit. "I guess I didn't hear all that."

"No, I thought you didn't," he replied, his smile spreading. "I could tell you weren't following the conversation. It's alright, neither was my mother."

"Anything else I missed?" she asked apprehensively, hoping that they hadn't discussed anything too important.

Kamlyn shook his head. "Boring stuff. I wouldn't worry about it. No offense meant, neesan, but your mate can be quite dull sometimes."

Kagome rolled her eyes. "I long for dull days now. There's been too much excitement around here for my taste." She looked at him. "Of course, after being nearly blown up by a bomb carried by Kaori and sent by you, even battle was a bit tame."

Her brother-in-law's laughing eyes sobered quickly. "When did you figure it out?" he murmured after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

"When I realized that you were on our side, I also realized that you tried to kill me that day," she answered. The hanyou didn't seem particularly perturbed by it, but her eyes were studying Kamlyn carefully. "You almost succeeded. Tetsusaiga saved me and the children."

His eyes closed. "The children… I had not meant to send my mother to kill anyone but you, neesan. If I had known then about you and the two little ones what I know now…" he trailed off.

"You would have done the same thing," finished Kagome, with a satisfied little nod. "Or at least you should have. It was a good plan. Kill me, stop the triumvirate from forming and therefore, stop Amatsu in his tracks. It might not have worked, but it was a good idea. I don't blame you for wanting to stop an evil god from killing millions at the price of one hanyou. I suspect that Kaori was rather easy to persuade, since she had no soul and you were her son. Sesshoumaru was the original target, of course?"

Kamlyn nodded. "Will you tell my brother about this?"

The hanyou shook her head. "There's no need, although I'm sure he's probably figured it out by now. But if he hasn't brought it up, it doesn't disturb him. He probably sees the logic in the plan as well and he can't fault you for it."

"Thank you, neesan."

Kagome smiled and patted her brother-in-law's arm. "No problem. Try not to do it again though," she added with mock severity.

Kamlyn only chuckled.

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They stood in the sunlight, shifting their weight as the good-byes fell silent. The ones who were being left behind looked rather glum, despite the beautiful day, the first in months. Patches of snow still dotted the ground, brown with the dirt coming from beneath them.

"Come on, guys, cheer up!" said Kagome, rather exasperated. "We've put this off for ages. I really need to go and do this. It's not like we won't be back."

Kagura finally smiled and stretched her arms out to hug her sister once more. "Fine, but you promised that you would be back as soon as you could. Don't forget."

"How could we forget you?" the hanyou asked, looking over the witch's shoulder to see Kamlyn, Kaori and the wolves standing quietly. Others had offered to come, but Kagome didn't want to make a big scene of it. The wolves had only come because the well was close to their cave, where they were awaiting the completion of a new home.

The sorceress pulled back, letting her hand brush Kagome's very pregnant stomach. It was well-disguised by a loose kimono, but after five months of putting up with her morning sickness, mood swings and odd cravings, the residents of Sesshoumaru's castle knew quite well that Kagome was getting closer to her delivery time. "Two months, right?" asked Kagura for the hundredth time.

"Yes," reaffirmed Kagome. "I just need some good, quality time with my family. And access to modern medicine. The way this one's been kicking, I have a feeling I'm in for a fight. We'll be back as soon as I recover." She looked back at Sesshoumaru, standing by the well with Rin and Washi, and smiled. "I don't think he could bear to leave the West for much longer than that anyway."

"Well, it took us long enough to clean up the political fiasco that Kin and Kuma created for us by going back on their alliances with the West," spat Kamlyn, crossing his arms. He had been quickly promoted to chief councilor, when Sesshoumaru had found that strategic planning was apparently an innate gift of at least two of the three brothers.

Sesshoumaru frowned. "If I return to a city in ruins…" he trailed off.

Kaori sighed at her son's overprotective behavior. "Don't worry! Divine intervention excluded, everything is set for your absence. You can always come across to this time for a night or two, if you're really worried," she said, with a wink towards Kagome. The females knew that, despite Sesshoumaru's outward cool behavior, he was getting increasingly jittery about impending fatherhood. He wouldn't leave Kagome in a strange world, even her own world, for more than a few minutes if he could help it.

The elder demoness jerked her thumb towards the wind witch and her younger son. "The ones we should be worried about are these two."

"Mother…"

"I'm just saying that's it's not natural!" huffed Kaori. "Living in the same quarters, not being mates. Get over and done with it already!"

Kamlyn rolled his eyes. He and Kagura had gotten used to their unusual arrangement quite quickly and although neither of them had 'perused other options', as they put it, since he had gotten his promotion, they hadn't officially mated either. And that was just fine with them for the moment. Kaori had tried to get Kagome on her side, but since the hanyou had gotten pregnant without being mated, she had felt that it would be rather hypocritical to push another couple into anything.

"Time to go!" announced Kagome, heading off what was quickly going to become one of her mother-in-law's tirades about the indecency of young demons.

There was yet another round of hugs for everyone, except Sesshoumaru of course, who only bowed to his mother. Kagome looked down into the well and then at her mate. "Maybe I should go down last, in case you need me to pass through it."

"I doubt that."

"Humor me," she replied, getting a shrug and the quick descent of her mate and two children down the ladder. A pink light poured from the well before they set their feet on the dirt at the bottom and they were gone. With a sigh of relief, Kagome waved a quick goodbye and followed, afraid to leave them in the twenty-first century for more than two seconds alone.

The trip was shorter than she had remembered and soon enough, she was packed into a tiny well with three other people and their baggage, as minimal as it was. It was dark and uncomfortable in her pregnant state, so Sesshoumaru jumped out with her first, leaving her at the top while he went back to get the children.

Kagome looked around the small, dank well house for the first time in a year. Tears began to puddle in her eyes and when she felt her mate's hand at the small of her back, she threw herself against his furred tail and let them flow. "I never thought I'd be back," she said, muffled by the mass of fuzz surrounding her head.

"Let us leave the tears until you have seen your family," he suggested, gently nudging her to the doors.

Washi took her hand and squeezed it as Kagome used the other to push open the rickety wooden sliding door. Smells assaulted her as the sun poured in. Oil and gasoline, smells of hour old breakfast and of fresh showers. Sota, her mother and her grandfather. Even Buyo. It was all still here.

She stepped out, her demon eyes quickly adjusting to the brighter light. She tugged at the bandana covering her ears and hair, worn so that she would not give her mother too much to take in at one time. Sesshoumaru had refused to wear anything of the sort though, so it made the effort rather pointless. Washi couldn't hide his wings without discomfort either, so she looked rather homely amongst a small group of very graceful creatures.

"Why do you hesitate?" asked Sesshoumaru. "Go into the house." He was trying not to be judgmental upon the small house or the offending smells coming from the land surrounding the shrine. It was his mate's home after all.

"It's a lot to explain. The demon thing… the baby… you." She paused and frowned. "Um, maybe I shouldn't do it in that order."

The taiyoukai gave her a severe look, telling her wordlessly to stop hesitating and get on with it. Kagome sighed and walked up to her childhood home, sliding open the door and dropping her yellow backpack, now a bit more tattered and dirty, at her feet. She could smell the dish soap her mother was using in the kitchen. Stale tears came to her nose as well and Kagome's stomach dropped as she remembered that dishes used to be her own chore. "Wait here," she instructed the children and her mate softly. She wandered down the hall, tripping slightly on a new mat her mother had placed down.

"Sota," called her mother, clearly still recovering from her bout of crying, "you have to hurry. School starts in an hour!"

Kagome rounded the corner and looked at her mom's rigid back for a moment, making sure she had put down the plate she was cleaning before clearing her throat.

Her mother's head whipped around and her soapy hands came out of the water as she screamed. "Kagome!" she cried out. "Oh Kami!" She rushed forward and grabbed her daughter, pulling her close to her chest, not even noticing the large bump on Kagome's front as she cried in happiness. "I knew you would come back," she kept saying over and over.

Sota and Grandpa appeared at the door, yelling in joy when they saw Kagome clutched desperately by her mother. "Sis! Sis!" cried her brother, finally prying her away from his mom and embracing Kagome.

He jerked back after a few contented moments. "Whoa. What did you _do_?" he asked, pointing at her rounded belly.

Grandpa, who had thrown his arms around his granddaughter as soon as Sota had vacated the place, looked down and his eyes widened. "This will be interesting," he murmured.

Her mother eyed her carefully and then turned back to the stove. She suddenly appeared very, very nervous. "I'll start some tea and Kagome can explain what's happened over the past year. I'm sure there's a lot we don't know," she said, filling the teakettle with water. Her hands were shaking slightly and she sighed as she placed the kettle on the counter. "Grandpa, could you get some of that American whiskey you have? I think I might need a bit." She watched as her father slipped out.

"Please, Mom," said Kagome. "I know it looks like I just ran off and got knocked up, but it's not like that. Well, not exactly."

"Oh, I know, dear," murmured her mother, settling herself down to wait for the tea to boil, "but I think this might not be the story I want to hear from my daughter after a year away."

Kagome sat down on the opposite side of the table, having a bit more difficulty given her condition. "It's not that fun in certain spots, I admit, Mom. But I just want you to know right now that I'm happy about how it's turned out."

"Is it Inuyasha's?" her mother asked patiently, nodding towards her daughter's stomach.

The hanyou bit her lip, tugging down on the bandana again. "Um, we'll get to that bit soon enough."

Her mother's eyes flickered up to the head covering, but just as she was about to question why her daughter was suddenly covering her hair, there was a shriek in the hallway. "Demons! Demons!" her grandfather cried out. "Take that, youkai! And that!"

Kagome's eyes widened, but she couldn't get up very easily. Instead, her mother scrambled to her feet and opened the door again to see a very irritated taiyoukai picking pieces of paper out of his hair. Beside him, Rin and Washi were doing the same. Grandpa seemed to have lost his wind and was panting against the wall. "Um, sorry. I should have warned you about that," said the hanyou, beckoning for her mate and children to come into the kitchen. "Sit down. You should all be here I guess."

Sesshoumaru threw one last angry look at the old man and sat down beside his mate, while the children wedged themselves in between. As soon as Kagome's mother had calmed down her father, they came in and sat in their usual places. Sota watched all of this excitement, trying to suppress a smirk.

Rather red in the face from embarrassment or the exertion of calming down Grandpa, Kagome's mother poured the now boiling water and added tea packets. "I ran out of the good kind," she explained, passing a cup to Kagome.

"It's okay, Mama." She glanced between her mate and mother, noticing the wariness they held towards each other. "Um, I suppose I should make introductions. This is Lord Sesshoumaru, Rin and Washi. Guys, this is my mother Hisano, my brother Sota and my grandfather Hiroshi." She watched as they all bent their head forward in greeting.

"_Lord_ Sesshoumaru?" asked Sota as soon as he straightened up. "Are you Inuyasha's brother?"

The taiyoukai gave an irritated look at Kagome, but she held up her hands. "Hey, I never mentioned it. I'm guessing that Inuyasha did, right?"

Sota nodded. "Yeah, he said his big brother was a real pain in the ass."

"Sota!" scolded his mother. "Don't speak like that."

He rolled his eyes. "Inuyasha does all the time. Where is he anyway? Why did he send his brother with you instead, sis? I guess they made up?"

Kagome grimaced. "In a way, I suppose you could say Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru got over their differences, yeah. Listen, it's kind of a long story."

"We have all day, Kagome," murmured her mother. "Sota will even stay home from school." She smiled softly as her son made a whoop of joy.

The hanyou looked down at her tea, rubbing the edge of the cup with her clawed finger, which she had filed down for the day, and began her story. It took three hours of almost solid oration from the hanyou, interrupted only occasionally by questions and gasps from her family. Her mother was the best audience member, crying, laughing and keeping quiet when it was due. They all took the death of Inuyasha rather hard, but were quite happy for Kagome when she spoke about her new mate. Naturally, the hanyou edited a few details, like the exact date of her baby's conception and her actions as the monster under Amatsu, killing anyone who displeased her.

When she finally finished, she drained another full cup of tea and looked around at her three stunned family members. "That's pretty much it," she said, trying to prompt them into speech. "We had to clean up a lot of territorial mess of course. That's why we didn't come back immediately after the battle."

Sota spoke first. "You really can use Tetsusaiga then? That's so cool!"

Kagome grinned. "Thanks, little brother. I'd teach you if I could, but Mom would kill me. It wouldn't work for you anyway. You don't have demon blood."

"So, that's why your hair is covered?" asked Hisano.

"Oh!" Kagome's hands flew to her head, where the bandana was still secured. "I'd forgotten about that. Here, I'll take it off." She loosed the cloth, letting her little triangle ears spring free and her crimson and black hair spill down her back. "I'm still human once a month at night," she said, watching as they stared at her twitching ears.

Her mother suddenly squealed in delight and crossed over to her daughter, playing with her ears as soon as she could get her hands on them. "Oh, they're so cute! Do you think your child will have them?"

Kagome rolled her eyes, happy that her mother was taking this so well but also finally understanding why Inuyasha hated this. "Not unless he or she knows what's good for it. _Mom_, stop that. It tickles like mad." She flattened them against her head and tried to ignore the disappointed pout on her mom's face. "So I don't look like a freak to you?"

Hisano stooped and hugged her daughter tightly. "Never. You're my Kagome and you always will be, regardless of how you look." She pulled back a bit and looked at the hanyou. "I don't want you to leave again."

"I'm staying until after the baby is born and then I'll visit lots. But remember, the well will one day close. Then, you'll see me as a five hundred year old demon on your doorstep," Kagome warned. She had omitted the part about her grandfather's death marking the occasion, but decided that no one should know too much about their own future.

"Five hundred and twenty," corrected her mother as she sat back down. "Your child will be five hundred."

"Right." She looked at Sesshoumaru with a smile. "Then you might be able to meet all of those other people I told you about. Like Kagura and Makoto and Kaori."

Hisano nodded. "It's a shame I can't see your castle though, Lord Sesshoumaru. It sounds beautiful."

The taiyoukai inclined his head in appreciation. "Yes. I believe that I will research my city's fate while I am here in your time. Perhaps it still stands, although I doubt it."

"I definitely would have noticed that one lying about," pointed out Kagome. "Besides, you shouldn't look it up. It's bad enough that I know about what's coming in historical matters."

"You agreed to use that knowledge to our advantage," countered the taiyoukai.

Kagome nodded, a lock of hair falling out of place. "And I still do, but I think there should be a line. Specifically looking for history of particular places and people would be crossing that line."

Before Sesshoumaru could respond, there was a loud knock on the door, gaining all of their attention. Hisano stood up. "That's strange. We don't get many visitors these days. They usually go directly to the shrine." She left the kitchen.

Kagome shrugged as she and her mate exchanged a glance. "I don't know. It's a guy, but that's all I can tell. I don't know anyone's scent in this time, besides my mother, brother and grandfather now."

A male voice filled the corridor and Sota rolled his eyes. "Sis, I'd put that bandana back on if I were you."

The hanyou had just tucked the last strand of red hair underneath the cloth when the door opened again and Hisano led in a young man of about twenty years. Kagome sucked in a breath as she turned to see the visitor. "Hojo?"

"Higurashi-san!" he cried, stepping forward. "I can't believe you're back! We all thought you were gone forever. I'd been hoping, of course, but you never know about those things. Guns, landmines, tanks…"

Kagome shot her mother a confused look and Hisano shrugged. "I told everyone that you joined the army."

Hojo looked back at forth between mother and daughter as they began to giggle. "What? Weren't you in the army, Higurashi-san? If you weren't, where have you been?"

Steadying herself against the table, the hanyou slowly got to her feet and crossed her arms over her swelling stomach. "Definitely not the army, Hojo-kun. Sorry that my mother had to lie, but she didn't know where I had gone until about three hours ago. Did you really think that I had joined the army?" she asked, beginning to giggle again.

The boy, staring dumbly at her pregnant form, shrugged halfheartedly. "Well… I mean, I told you that day that I was thinking of going to America for awhile. You just seemed really distant. I thought that you were… um, sad about me leaving," he said, seeming to just notice Sesshoumaru in the middle of his sentence. The youkai was looking at him with utter disgust. "Uh, hi, I don't think we've met. I'm Hojo. Kagome and I went to school together. We dated a bit."

A rumbling growl filled the air and Kagome scowled at her mate. "Down, boy," she muttered before turning back to her 'former fling'. "Hojo, you know how I was sick a lot?"

"Um, yeah?"

Kagome sighed and decided to cut about two hours and fifty-nine minutes from the version she had given her family. "I wasn't sick. I was traveling back and forth between this time and the Feudal Era. I fell in love with the elder brother of the person I traveled with and now, I'm a demon like him." She pulled the bandana from her head again and smiled at the awe-struck human boy. "Oh, and I'm pregnant with a dog demon child."

Hojo fainted dead away. No one really moved to make sure he was okay and Kagome turned back to her mother. "He pestered you constantly about my whereabouts, didn't he?"

Hisano smiled and nodded. "He's a sweet boy, Kagome, but if you had ended up with him, I think I would have gone insane."

The taiyoukai looked up at his mate and smirked. "I believe your mother and I will get along quite well, Kagome," he said.

The hanyou grinned, happier than she had been since a time long forgotten. "Let's unpack."

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A/N: There you go! Stay tuned for the epilogue, which is already in the works! And thanks to all the following, lovely people:

Review responses removed due to ban


	30. Tenseiga Corp

A/N: Here it is! Finally, the last installment of _The Broken Miko_. I do apologize – it should have been out weeks ago, but there were computer issues and life issues. Well, at least it's done (instead of the paper that I should be writing!) Haha. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart. I love you all for your support.

The Broken Miko

Epilogue: Tenseiga Corp.

Just before the answering machine picked up, Kagome made it to the ringing phone and answered, pushing her freshly washed hair back from the receiver. "Hello?"

Sesshoumaru came into the kitchen and, with a nod to his mate, sat down at the table and poured himself some orange juice from the pitcher. He listened as she spoke over the phone.

"Oh, hi! I wasn't expecting to hear from you. I thought you were still in France… Well, you'll have to tell me about it sometime… Oh?… Of course we'll be there… No, I've completely cleared the schedule. Only the apocalypse could stop us… Right. Three o'clock…Bye." She hung up and looked over at her mate. "We need to clear Saturday. I'd forgotten about that party we need to go to."

The taiyoukai picked up the paper and spread out the front page. "I am certain that we do not _need _to go. You are aware of how much I hate those functions."

Kagome opened the refrigerator and began to rummage for some eggs and cheese. "Yes, I am aware, but yes, we also need to go." She emerged carrying an egg carton and a block of sharp cheddar. "Your mother would kill us if we didn't. She's expecting every demon in Japan to come to see her newest grandchild."

"Hmph. She already has several," he pointed out.

"And she was very excited about those too," reminded his mate, "but this one is Kamlyn's. You know how long Kaori has waited for him to finally suck it up and become a father. Remember the party she wanted to throw fifteen years ago when he finally mated?"

Sesshoumaru stood up and took the egg carton that Kagome was still holding and pulled a bowl from the cupboard. "It is not for lacking of trying on my brother's part that Kagura only got pregnant recently," he said.

"Don't be vulgar," admonished Kagome, shuddering slightly. "I think the entire castle knew what they were doing, each and every time."

"Now who is being vulgar?"

Kagome smiled and shrugged, taking a large knife to cut the cheddar block. "Well, as much as I love my brother-in-law and Kagura, I'm glad that we don't live in the same dwelling anymore." She scrunched up her nose. "How does a male resist making a female his mate for so long? I mean, four hundred and eighty five years! That's a long time to resist such a natural inclination."

"It is possible."

The hanyou smirked at her mate. "You certainly don't seem able to resist biting me each and every time."

He glared at her for a moment, but quickly went back to whipping the eggs. "Very well. We will go to the party for the runt's birth."

"He's not a runt. He's quite cute actually. And his name is… oh, Kaori just said it too." She frowned, flattening her ears back against her skull. "Hoshi! That's it. I can't believe Kagura gave into the idea for the party though. She must be exhausted. She's not used to motherhood and it's only been a week and a half."

"If she can deal with Kamlyn, I'm sure she can deal with a pup," he said, pouring some of the beaten eggs into a frying pan. "Is your family coming?"

Kagome smiled, aware that her mate had a soft spot for her mother and brother. Ever since her grandfather had died three years before and they had been allowed to contact them again, Sesshoumaru had always looked forward to her family's presence. She thought that, ironically, they gave him a sense of normalcy amidst their strange life. "Yes, I believe so. Kaori likes them quite a bit. We'll have to make sure Kin and Kuma don't interact with them too much though."

Sesshoumaru growled slightly as he sat back down at the table. Even after five hundred years, he strongly disliked the two lords. Even if Kaori insisted upon inviting them to demon functions to 'patch things up', he would always distrust them. "As long as they do not ask how the business is doing, I will not cut out their throats."

"They were just being polite last time, Sesshoumaru. They weren't trying to steal our trade secrets. They're into automobiles, not pharmaceuticals." She scoffed as she flipped over the omelet. "It's not like they would even understand most of our research. Heck, I don't understand most of it and I'm vice president of the company."

"Tenseiga Corporation was your creation," pointed out her mate in a rare display of praise. "You don't have to understand it."

She gave him a dazzling smile, one that still made his heart skip a beat, even after five hundred years. "Thank you." She placed a plate with a steaming omelet in front of him.

Sesshoumaru stretched out his new left arm and watched as the sunlight caught it. "I believe I should be thanking you, Kagome."

The hanyou blushed and tapped on the metal plating of his prosthesis. It was the latest design of Tenseiga Corp's line. Even the strictest medical journals had called the new technology a "boon to society" and "likely to lead to a cybernetic epiphany". Kagome scoffed as she remembered that, looking at how her mate's metal fingers easily held the newspaper, with as much dexterity as a youkai should normally have. If that wasn't a cybernetic breakthrough, she didn't know what was.

"We need to figure out how to make a realistic skin covering for it without melting the wiring," she said, pointing to the wires encased in tubing. "Is it working alright?"

"It is fine," the taiyoukai said, curling his hand into a fist and then back out. "If I wanted a true limb, I could have sliced one off of unsuspecting demon." His lip curled up in a smirk that made it unclear whether he was joking or not.

Kagome just rolled her eyes. "Well, the government is really excited about this one. I want to be able to deliver something that looks convincing, for those that _do_ want realism. As CEO, you should be willing to at least listen to them."

Sesshoumaru shrugged and went back to the newspaper, skimming an article about an arsonist's fire in a downtown meat market. He didn't need to finish it to know that three thousand pounds of beef had been barbecued. He still smelled it in the air, along with the chemical used as the accelerant. Their own penthouse was only a few blocks away. "We should go to the city this weekend."

The hanyou knew that he didn't mean Tokyo, but the City of the West, which they had preserved by buying up the land around it as soon as possible. No one was allowed into the 'wildlife sanctuary' except for those invited. Sesshoumaru liked to return every month or so to make sure everything was still doing well, especially after it was nearly destroyed in the war. Several youkai employees kept it clean and functional. "We have the party, remember?" she said, amazed how quickly things he didn't want to do slipped his mind.

"Then next weekend."

Kagome nodded. "Okay, I think I had scheduled a lunch with Ruri, but I'm sure we can do it sometime during the week. She's dating some human, did I tell you?"

"Yes." His shoulders tensed slightly. The truth was that, although youkai still existed in high places in Japan, many had died in the war decades earlier, despite Kagome's attempts to warn them all. With low birth rates, they were still recovering their population and many had turned to humans for mates.

"You're just old fashioned," said Kagome, walking over and kissing him atop his silver head. "You married me, didn't you?"

She waved the plain gold band she wore in front of his face. She loved to tease him about caving into human tradition. "I only married you on human terms because the government said it would make the paperwork easier to conceal," he said stiffly, referring to the government program that allowed youkai to hide their long life spans. In return, they agreed to support other government initiatives, like Tenseiga Corp's assistance in medical arenas. "We were only mates for centuries and I was perfectly content."

Kagome wiggled her way between the breakfast table and her mate, sitting on his lap and placing her hands upon his chest. She was aware that his proposal five hundred years before still burned bright in his memory. "I know. It was enough for me too, you know that, right?"

"If it was not, I would not imagine that you would agree to sharing my bed," he replied.

She smoothed the lapels of his suit. She was still unused to seeing him dressed like this and the absence of his markings and his tail were quite unnerving at times. It was only a simple concealment spell, but Kagome was very grateful that it didn't completely work and left his silver hair and golden eyes. She smiled at him. "Yeah, you're probably right. I don't even really think of you as my husband. You're my mate."

Sesshoumaru smirked, proud that he had shifted her perception to the youkai way. Leaning in, he nipped at the white scar tissue at the base of her neck. "I am," he agreed.

She squirmed. "Stop that. I have to get dressed for the office too, you know," she said in a tone that belied her true feelings.

"Oh, ew! Do you have to do that at the breakfast table?"

The taiyoukai lifted his head and looked at his youngest child. He smirked again. "Would you rather I did it in public, Midori?" His daughter was fifty years old, but with three-fourths demon blood, she was essentially a teenager. Her long black and silver hair, which she lamented made her look like she was going gray prematurely, covered her pointed ears. The crescent on her forehead, above her brown eyes, was already hidden by the concealment spell he had taught to all of his children.

The girl blanched. "The breakfast table is fine then." She looked at her mother, who had walked back across the kitchen to make more omelets. "Mom, do you know where my backpack is? I've looked everywhere."

"I washed it because it was filthy. It's in the laundry room. Not surprised you haven't looked there." She cracked open a few more eggs. "Tell me, have any of your clothes grown fuzzy yet? Maybe we should start naming them."

Midori rolled her eyes, reminding Sesshoumaru very much of Kagome. "_Mom_, whatever. I'll wash them tonight when I get back."

As she was about to leave, a handsome young youkai in a gray suit strolled in and ruffled her hair. "Hey, Midi, what's up?"

"Oh, stuff it, Washi," she huffed.

"Don't talk to your brother like that and come and have breakfast. You barely ate anything last night." She pointed to one of the many chairs surrounding the thankfully sturdy table.

Midori walked over and plopped down beside her father. "I _hate_ that nickname. I don't call you 'Wash', do I?"

The eagle demon shrugged. "It's kind of stupid sounding, but whatever, kiddo."

"I hate that one too."

"Sure. We got some toast?" he asked, diving into the freezer and pulling out a loaf of bread.

"We will if you make some," answered Kagome, pointing to the toaster. "Midori, get out the jelly and butter. It looks like we're going to have an actual breakfast this morning. Sesshoumaru?"

The taiyoukai looked over the top of the newspaper with a raised eyebrow. "Yes?"

She smiled at him. "Mind getting the other two? Looks like they slept in again."

Sesshoumaru got up just as Rin and Daichi walked in. Rin was in a suit, ready to go to the office, while Daichi looked like he had just rolled out of bed. The taiyoukai raised an eye at his two elder children. Rin had blossomed into a beautiful young woman, seemingly stuck at the age of twenty-three. She was a botanist working for the company, using plant material to figure out some of their most popular medicines. When you managed to steer conversation away from the destruction of forests and therefore millions of potential cures, Rin was charming. Beside her, Daichi looked like Sesshoumaru, only he kept his hair short and he just had stripes upon his cheeks, like his uncle Kamlyn. A large fluffy tail trailed behind him. Neither of their children had inherited Kagome's dog ears, which disappointed no one but the hanyou's mother. Daichi was supposedly in marketing and was quite good at it when he managed to get into the office.

The taiyoukai settled back at the table. Five hundred years old and his son still acted like he was Midori's age sometimes. He had no doubt that one day the boy would find his role. He was a good kid, but until then, he managed to try his father's patience daily. "We have an executive meeting today at one o'clock. I expect you to be there, Daichi."

"No problem, Pop," the boy answered, lounging in the chair across from his father. He grinned as Kagome placed an omelet in front of him. "Excellent. Thanks, Mom."

"Hmm," answered the hanyou, eyeing her son's state of undress. She placed a plate of toast on the table as well as one of bacon that she had cooked and sat down with her family.

Rin looked up from her own section of the paper. "Wow, everyone's here. This is a first."

"And a last, probably," muttered Washi, trying to speak through eggs.

Kagome frowned. "Now, I don't want to talk about that." She fell silent for a moment, while her four children and her mate looked at her, fully expecting her next words. "I don't want you two to go!" she cried out.

Washi patted his mother's back. "Come on, Mom. I know it's like, the biggest penthouse in the city, but five adults…" he trailed off and looked at his brother. "Four adults and two kids kind of fill up a place, you know?"

"Hey! I resent that!" Daichi exclaimed. He settled back into his chair quickly, not wanting to expend the energy for a fight. "I think it's stupid anyway for you and Rin to move out. This is a pretty sweet deal we have, you know."

Rin sighed. "Yes. And don't get us wrong. We love living with you and father," she told Kagome. "But it is a bit crowded. And for the millionth time, you don't have to worry about us. We're just moving down the street and we're living in the same building. It's not like we won't have family everywhere. Half of Tokyo's youkai population lives between our new place and here!"

It was true. Many of Tokyo's richest 'people' were actually youkai. The owners of the newspaper and television stations, as well as many business moguls, lived within a stone's throw. They printed and broadcast false obituaries every once in awhile, to help the 'turn over' of youkai-run establishments. Although Sesshoumaru and Kagome weren't technically leaders of the West any longer, most youkai would fall all over themselves to help their children. As Daichi put it, a king wasn't much of a king without a kingdom, but he sure did get some nice perks out of it.

Kagome stabbed at her omelet. "I know. You've been around for so long though."

Her elder daughter reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "I know, Mom, but it's getting hard being a single adult when you have your parents around, you know?"

"Tell me about it," muttered Washi. He had been caught kissing Ginta's daughter a month or so back in the living room. Kagome hadn't been that embarrassed – they had only been kissing after all – but Washi had made it clear that it was getting difficult to continue living with them and carry on a quest for a mate. "Don't you want grandkids, Mom?" he had said.

Kagome _didn't_ really want grandchildren yet. Even the thought made her feel old, but she understood that Rin and Washi were adults now and that they wanted their own space. "I know," she said again, still stabbing her eggs. "I'll let you have your fun. Not too much fun, please."

Rin laughed. "Yeah, Mom, because you know that _I'm_ the party animal of this family."

They all looked at Daichi, whose eyes widened with indignation. "Hey, wait a minute! I worked hard to be the _lazy_ one of the family. I think Midori is going to be the party girl." He snickered as his sister glared at him.

"No way. Mom would kill me." She grinned. "Dad is definitely the party animal."

Sesshoumaru appeared again from behind his newspaper. "Excuse me?"

Rin was almost falling out of her chair as she laughed with the rest of her family. "Can you imagine? Father wearing a little party hat and dancing on a table?" She looked at the taiyoukai's annoyed expression and started laughing again.

The taiyoukai retreated back to his paper as the giggling subsided and Kagome stood up to clear the table. "Okay, okay. Time to go to work, kids," she said, smiling as her children groaned, even those that she knew looked forward to going to the office. "And Midori, off to school with you."

The little girl frowned but went off to retrieve her bag from the laundry room. She went to a special school for youkai children two blocks over, one where no one would mind if a child took fifty years to look fifteen. Given the grand amount of time they were given, and that they could study almost anything, the youkai children came out incredibly knowledgeable and launched into fascinating careers. At least three of the alumni had won huge amounts of money on _Jeopardy!_, which some of the kids thought was a rather dubious claim to fame. Even so, Midori was showing an incredible talent in biotechnology, going so far as to make suggestions about future prosthetic lines to her father.

Washi kissed his mother on the cheek. "Thanks for breakfast, Mom. I'm driving in today by myself. I have to go over some stuff before the meeting." He grabbed the last piece of toast before she could throw it away, and walked out. The other two followed.

Kagome smiled and began to wipe down the table, sweeping the crumbs of breakfast off and into the trash. Dumping the damp cloth back into the sink, she began to giggle.

The taiyoukai lowered his newspaper again, folding it and placing it upon the chair next to him. Obviously, this morning was too full of distractions for him to properly read the news. As it was, he had been reading the same column over and over between interruptions. "What do you find so amusing?"

"You… party hat…" she managed to say between breaths.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "You know very well that I would never be caught in such an undignified situation."

The hanyou turned around, leaning against the smooth granite countertop. "Oh yeah?" she said, raising an eyebrow with a vicious little smirk. "I seem to remember _somebody_ having a bit too much sake at a party about fifty years ago and me ending up pregnant."

He scowled. "It certainly was _not_ the alcohol that gave us Midori. There was so much cigar smoke in that room that I was not able to detect your scent, telling me if you were able to conceive. We took a chance. Clearly, we were mistaken." He paused and shook his head once. "Although I do appreciate the result."

She smiled at him, privately remembering his affirmation of love that night. Considering how rare those words were, Kagome was still quite convinced that Sesshoumaru had imbibed entirely too much alcohol at that party. Not that she minded in the least. "Well, even so," she said, pretending to go along with his assertions, "I would prefer that the next one be planned. All four just kind of fell into our laps."

"And you want another?" he asked. "Midori is only fifty."

Kagome grinned as she shrugged. They'd had this conversation often enough, although she never knew if it was serious. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind trying for another one. We had Rin and Washi at the same time remember. They were a handful, but we managed quite well."

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you regret that?"

She shook her head, a solemn expression clouding her face. "Never. Those kids are my life. I know that makes me sound tame and domestic, but I don't care."

The taiyoukai stood up and went to her side, wrapping his arms around her waist. "My mate is never tame," he murmured, a growl of pleasure rising in his chest. "Even if we do not venture onto the battlefield any longer, you can be ruthless."

"And that's good?" she asked, smirking a bit. She knew the answer already.

His growl heightened as he gathered her possessively to his chest. As he was about to resume what Midori had earlier interrupted, there was a soft meow at his ankles. Looking down, they saw that their two young fire cats wanted breakfast as well.

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. The kittens certainly hadn't been _his_ idea, but when his mate heard about one of their neighbors being overrun by a litter of fire cats, she had taken two in immediately. He had pointed out that cats in a household of dog demons would probably end in disaster, but she had already starting cooing at the small fur balls and he knew he had lost the argument before he had even begun. Kagome had even coyly named them after two of the panther demons that they had fought together when Inuyasha was still alive.

"Those cats were a mistake," said the taiyoukai, repeating what he had already said a hundred times. Shunran and Touran twirled around his feet, looking up at him with what he saw as smug expressions.

Kagome let out a little cry of surprise as she glanced at the clock, as it chimed the half-hour. "I didn't realize it was so late! Feed the kittens, would you? And be _nice_ to them. I'll be ready in ten minutes." She said all of it very quickly as she dashed out, towards their bedroom to get dressed.

The dog demon glanced down at the kittens again, sighing as he pulled the dry cat food from the lower cupboard and poured some out into the ceramic bowls in the corner of the room. The cats sniffed haughtily at the food, as if it was not good enough for them, and finally fell to their meal. "There was a day," Sesshoumaru said, watching them eat, "when your namesakes trembled before me. Now I am waiting upon you. How revolting."

The kittens simply ignored him.

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Kagome yawned and pressed the call button on her intercom.

"Yes, Mrs. Taisho?" responded the sweet voice of her assistant, Emiko. It was a voice that belied her true no-nonsense nature. She was a fire demon and had the power to threaten incineration upon anyone who dared to force their way into her boss's office and Kagome quite liked her for it. The only more effective guardian to her doors would be the dragon, Ah-Un.

"Come in here a moment." The door swung open a few seconds later, revealing the tall, red-haired female. Kagome smiled at her. "I need these filed, please. And call Keitaro in human resources to set up that meeting he wants. Although, I'm sure we'll just talk business at the party this Saturday."

Emiko grinned, picking up the files. "I thought Nami-san didn't approve of that?"

Kagome laughed. "Only because now Keitaro and three of her five children work for us. Poor thing feels a bit left out sometimes, but she prefers being a demon arbitrator. It's what she excels at after all." She handed her a stack of post-its. "I need you to return these calls for me. Set up appointments, make up excuses, it's all written down for you. Tell Unicef we'll make the usual donation of two million dollars." She smirked a bit to herself. Every year it was a monumental struggle to get her mate to agree to the sum. Sesshoumaru, for all the ostentatious display in his former city, was a bit of a miser sometimes, but she always managed to cajole him with the mention that it was a tax write-off.

The fire demoness nodded, slipping back into business mode without hesitation. "Sesshoumaru-sama is waiting for you in his office. You're to join him as soon as you can. I believe he has had lunch brought up for you."

"Thank you, Emiko," replied Kagome, standing up and gathering her more important papers. She was surprised. Lunch with Sesshoumaru was rare. Several times she had to scold him for forgetting to eat at all and he would scoff at her 'misplaced' concern. It was one of their more irritating, continual tiffs they had. "Lock up and go to lunch yourself. I'll need you at the one o'clock meeting. The calls can wait I suppose."

She walked out of her office and walked down the hall, past the large meeting rooms and the receptionist's desk, to the opposite corner of the building. 'We work and live together,' Sesshoumaru had said when they were laying out the floor plans for their offices. 'We certainly don't need to be next to one another all the time.' In the end, Kagome was glad she had agreed. Corner offices were so spacious and frankly, she liked being away from her mate when he had bad days. He had cooled on the whole 'killing the messenger' thing a century or so before, but he still had his moments of bloodlust.

"Morning, Sakura," she greeted Sesshoumaru's assistant, who looked like anything but a cherry blossom. Sakura was a thousand year old snake demon with cold eyes and, when she didn't have the concealment spell upon her, acid yellow hair. She was actually a lovely person but quite intimidating, even if you knew her well. Sesshoumaru and Kagome would occasionally have a light-hearted argument about whose assistant was better in turning away unwanted visitors: Emiko and her ability to set people aflame or Sakura and her intimidating stare.

Sakura smiled at her, something that she could never really do without looking predatory. "Good morning, Mrs. Taisho. He's waiting for you. Go right in."

Kagome thanked her and opened the door to see Sesshoumaru standing at the window, his arms crossed over his chest. He didn't turn his head, but looked at her in the reflection of the dark glass. "Kagome," he said in way of greeting.

"Hi. You wanted to see me?" she asked, seating herself in front of his desk. She knew he wouldn't eat until business had been discussed.

He finally looked over at her. "I received a note from Gouken International. They are thinking of merging with another business and they want us."

Kagome arched a delicate eyebrow. "Gouken? Merge with us? Why would we want their sinking ship on our hands?"

"They have some very interesting research developments."

She leaned back in her chair. "So, let's buy them out and clean out the trash, keep what's worth keeping." She narrowed her eyes. "Machi must be out of her mind. First she tries to compete with us by starting her own medical research company. Then she tries to hold a merger with us? Why? So she can get out of debt and keep her seat on a powerful corporate board, I'm sure."

Sesshoumaru nodded, sitting down behind his desk. "She is brazen," he said.

Kagome scowled. "We should have killed her when it was still was legal to do so. She doesn't even care about the health of the people around her. It's all about the power. I'm sure that it suits her personal interests too. She's always wanted to _merge_ with you, Sesshoumaru."

The taiyoukai allowed a small smirk at his mate's words. "She is unscrupulous, yes, but there is no need to be crude."

The hanyou rolled her eyes. "Well, what do we do about it then? Push her off a cliff? That's got my vote."

Sesshoumaru's smirk widened. Kagome frequently nagged him to keep his bloodlust in check, now that he could no longer kill others without consequences. She was proud of him when he forced his more vicious energy into more productive business strategies. He appreciated her support, but it was rewarding to see that his fiery hanyou hadn't completely demolished her own violent tendencies either. "I think," he said slowly, "that I will take your suggestion. Buy the company and gut it, keeping only what we can use. Machi obviously would not be on that particular list, but as the owner, she will get a sizeable compensation." His chest rumbled in approval at Kagome's darkened expression. "We cannot afford to make enemies with her business allies, or with her. She is still powerful."

"Whatever," mumbled his mate.

He stood up and walked to her, pulling her up and out of the chair with his real hand. "We will forget this for now. It will be a matter for the lawyers and the accountants." Pulling her to his chest, he buried his nose in her hair, smelling her shampoo. She used a brand made by a youkai company, with scents that humans could barely detect so that it was not overpowering to him. Even Kagome could barely smell it, but she said that it was enough to just have clean hair. Sesshoumaru knew that she would prefer the aroma-drenched liquids that humans used and the fact that she didn't use them made him appreciate his mate even more.

"Sesshoumaru, you're doing that possessive growling thing again." She pulled away and looked up at him with a light in her eyes, telling him that she didn't mind entirely, even though she frequently scolded him about it. It wasn't a 'human' thing to do, she would say each time.

He shrugged, wordlessly reminding her that they were alone for the moment. "We should eat. The meeting is in an hour."

The hanyou nodded and followed him out of his office down towards the conference rooms where important meetings were held. Sesshoumaru couldn't abide having food in his own office, since the smell lingered for so long, so whenever they had lunch it would be laid out in an empty room. "So, why the lunch? You normally let yourself starve until dinner."

The taiyoukai suddenly stiffened and frowned, as if he had stepped on a tack. "It is a… special occasion," he finally said, forcing the words out.

Kagome laughed. "Is it? Then why do you look so unhappy?"

He appeared displeased but murmured, "The children's idea."

"Oh? So the children forced you to have lunch with your mate? I'll have to thank them." She laughed again. "It is a special occasion if you listened to your children."

"I only listened because they were correct," he grumbled, still looking entirely disgruntled by the fact that he had listened to his progeny. "It is a surprise."

Suspicion suddenly settled upon her shoulders as she recalled the date. It wasn't her birthday or any of the children's, and although Sesshoumaru was a dedicated mate, he had never been one for birthday parties anyway. It left only one possibility - that Sesshoumaru had done something so horrifying that the children had forced him to apologize. "What did you do?" she asked. "Was there blood involved?"

"I can kill without drawing blood, Kagome," he answered unfazed. They reached the door and he stood aside, allowing her to open it for herself. He had never picked up human social graces very easily, so Kagome said nothing as she pushed open the mahogany slab.

"Happy anniversary!"

Kagome stepped back for a moment, her old battle instincts kicking in for a brief second before realizing that several of her closest friends and relatives were standing around the long conference table and grinning at her. She smiled back, taking in the clusters of balloons around the room and the rather dazzling display of food beside a small stack of presents. "Oh!" she cried out, practically skipping into the room. "This is amazing! Who put you all up to this?"

Kaori, beautiful in a dark green suit, stepped forward. "Believe it or not, it was your mate."

The hanyou turned back to stare at Sesshoumaru who was still standing by the open door. He frowned at his mother's words. "That is completely untrue. The children decided that we needed to celebrate our five hundredth anniversary and I agreed to a quiet lunch for the six of us. When others heard about it, it… _got out of control_," he said.

Kamlyn came forward with a tiny baby strapped to his chest in one of those front baby harnesses that Kagome had sworn to herself never to wear. He looked very much the proud papa, but at the moment was beaming at his brother. "Oh, you know he loves the balloons."

"And we have party hats!" called Rin from the punch bowl.

"She's kidding!" added Washi hastily, seeing the dark cloud form on his father's face. Rin only laughed.

Kagome smiled and began to move through the small crowd, greeting her old friends and family. It seemed that whoever had sent out the guest list (she guessed that it had been Kaori and Rin), had taken special care to invite those that had been around to witness Sesshoumaru's downfall into the ranks of mated males. Of course, many of them worked for their own company, such as Ginta, Hakkaku and Keitaro, but Makoto was there as well, from across town where his arbitration business was located.

Daichi strolled over with Kagura. "Hey, Mom. Aunt Kags told me that you and her played a dirty trick on Pop, but she won't say what it was exactly."

Kagura, appearing rather tired after her long week of giving birth and adjusting to having a baby in the house, grinned from beneath her sleepy red eyes. She never bothered with concealment spells, preferring her 'exotic' look. "I said that I would only tell if you allowed me to. We don't want to give him ideas, now do we?"

The hanyou rolled her eyes at her sister and best friend. Teasing Sesshoumaru had almost become an official pastime for Kamlyn and his mate. The only reason the taiyoukai hadn't killed them was because they were family (and Kagome threatened to make him sleep alone for a week). And the only reason that Kagura was asking permission this time was that Kagome was directly involved in the treachery. "Sure, tell him. Only because I don't think he'll ever fall for that one again."

The witch's eyes lit up as a sadistic smile spread across her face. "Well, you see, Daichi. Your father was being a complete _moron_ and had decided to disappear. Kagome and I…"

Sesshoumaru's voice cut off Kagura. "This is still a place of business and there is still an executive meeting at one o'clock. All those on my staff will go to the next room. The rest, we shall see you on Saturday at my brother's son's celebration."

Half-hearted groans followed this announcement, although all had been expecting it. Sesshoumaru may allow his mate an hour of fun for their anniversary, but it would freeze in hell before he interrupted his work schedule. As they filed out, Kagome thanked each one, hugging them tightly as her mate gave curt nods. Kagura, one of the last to leave, promised Kagome that Daichi would know the story of how they tricked Sesshoumaru by Saturday evening. The hanyou was certain she was right.

The doors closed, leaving Sesshoumaru alone with his mate of five hundred years. "Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Very much so. Thank you."

He nodded once. He no longer had to say that what pleased her, pleased him. "If you are free tonight," he murmured, "I would like to take you out for a meal."

She laughed and closed her hands around his. She had buzzed around the room for an hour but she had barely been able to speak two words to her mate. With four children in their house, of course, such stretches of non-communication were common. Some time alone would be such a treat. "You're even taking me out for dinner tonight then?" she asked with hope.

He arched an eyebrow. "It is what humans do to commemorate this sort of event and you are always telling me to blend in. Do you not wish to spend the evening with me?"

"I do," she murmured, embracing him around the middle. His hands came to rest on the center of spine. Over time, he had become accustomed to these sweeter actions in private.

"Perhaps… I will have some saki tonight," he said softly. He knew that she would remember their conversation that morning, about the nature of Midori's conception.

Kagome pulled back sharply, and saw that he was serious. Laughing, she encircled his neck with her arms and brought him down to her level for a long, but almost innocent, kiss. She tapped his nose as she drew back again and gave him a coy smile. "Bad puppy."

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A/N: It's done! Kind of hard to believe. My new story will be out soon enough, considering that I've finally settled into my new schedule here in Austin. We'll see. It's called _Thousandfurs_, so look for it! A huge thank you to every one that has read and reviewed my story! And here are the final review responses for _The Broken Miko._

Review responses removed due to ban


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